


The Home You Deserve

by little_but_mighty



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Fluff, I have no idea what other characters I will include, Irondad, Light Angst, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, This idea was given to me by another user, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, but we'll see what happens, spiderson, this is my first multi chapter fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 35,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23904085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_but_mighty/pseuds/little_but_mighty
Summary: Peter Parker has been in foster care all his life and has no recollection of his real family. After fourteen years of being a foster kid, he runs away. He finally decided that being with a family who clearly hates you is no family at all. Somehow, he ends up in prison. Enter Tony Stark, who gets him out of jail and gives Peter the loving home he deserves.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 50
Kudos: 268
Collections: Lost and Found Irondad Fics





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! So this is my first multi-chapter fic. It takes place pretty much right after civil war. I'm not really sure exactly where this is going to go (I have a few ideas in mind) but I thought this would be a fun opportunity for people to leave thoughts in the comments about what should happen next. If you have an idea about what should happen in the future for this fic, please feel free to comment below. And I want to give a big thanks to Lake9 for this idea! Enjoy!

Tony walked into the Juvenile Detention Center, in search of a certain spider kid.

"Hi," he said to the lady at the desk. "I'm looking for Peter Parker?"

"Parker," the woman scoffed. "Don't know why you'd be looking for a delinquent like him."

Delinquent? Tony didn't think of Peter that way. From what he's seen, all Peter wants to do is what's right.

"It's urgent. I have some important business with him."

The lady rolled her eyes, but led Tony to Peter's cell nonetheless. Tony thought he would be going to where they kept all the other prisoners - it was hard to think of kids that way - but the woman was leading him to somewhere else entirely.

At the very back of the building, there was a door. The woman opened it, and led Tony down a case of old cement stairs. They were covered in dust and dirt, and had a railing that looked like it would collapse at any second. Tony refrained from touching it. As they reached the bottom, Tony saw, sitting there, at the very back of the room, one lonely jail cell.

It wasn't a pretty sight. The cell. No. Not just the cell. This whole room. It was dark and gray and there were bugs, dead and alive, crawling around everywhere. Not to mention the smell. It was a mixture of sweat and death.

A small window in the wall next to the cell provided just enough brightness from the sun to light up a small portion of the cell. Looking closer inside, into the shadowy part, there was a person. A child. A boy. He was sitting on the hard cement floor, cross-legged, his back facing Tony and the woman.

Suddenly, as they were about a foot away from the cell, the woman stopped. Tony wanted to go closer, but was stopped by the woman reaching her arm out across his chest.

"Don't get too close, Stark," she warned him while still facing the cell.

Tony looked at her like she was crazy. "Why not? He's just a kid."

"Hm. I'll believe that when I see it. Parker!" She hollered. "You've got a visitor!"

Tony watched as the sudden noise made the boy's head jolt up from its stiff stance. He turned his head slightly, so slightly that only the back of his jaw could be seen. "Who?" he asked softly.

"Turn around and look," the woman ordered.

With a sigh, the boy turned his whole body so he was facing the two adults. When he saw Tony Stark standing a foot away from his jail cell, he couldn't help but be confused. "You?" He questioned, keeping his eyes locked on Tony.

"You," Tony smiled. He turned to the woman. "Could we have a minute?"

The woman sneered but complied, leaving Tony and Peter alone.

Once she was gone, Peter gave Tony a look. "What are you doing here?"

"Me? What are _you_ doing here?" Tony challenged. He was confused as hell. When Tony recruited the boy to fight in the so called "civil war" he found him behind an alley dressed in a sweatsuit and goggles. Now he was in jail?

"Tony, leave," Peter demanded.

Leave? No way. Absolutely not. He was getting to the bottom of this.

"Peter, why are you here?" Tony asked, ignoring Peter's demand.

"Why do you care?" Peter snapped.

"Because I-" Tony paused. Why _does_ he care? Peter wasn't his kid. He wasn't his anything. He simply needed help in battle, and so he asked Peter. He asked Spider-Man. He eventually came up with the answer: "Because I need to know if I can trust Spider-Man. Is he the hero, or the enemy?"

Eyes drifting to the floor, Peter spoke softly. "I'm not the hero or the enemy. I'm just a dumb kid. A vigilante."

"How? How did you get like this. How did you get here?"

"It's a long story."

Tony shrugged. "I got nothing but time, kiddo."

Peter inhaled deeply through his nose. "For fourteen years," he began, "I was a foster kid. I never knew my real family. They brought me up since I was a baby, the foster people, and told me there was no one in my family around when they found me. So they took me in as their own. But they never treated me as their own. They had their own kids. Their real kids. They treated them with love and kindness, and treated me like shit. Not just the parents. The kids, too. I was never a brother to them, and I was never a son to the parents. I was a burden. So I got out. I left. I packed up anything that was mine and escaped in the middle of the night. That was a year ago. Since then, I've been living from hotel to hotel, but I couldn't pay for anything so I'd have about five days before I'd have to run away before they caught me."

Peter seemed to be done with his story, but Tony wanted to know more. "And what about Spider-Man? How'd that come about?"

"About six months ago, I was bitten by a spider. It was radioactive from some science lab. Then I realized I had powers. I could climb walls and stick to pretty much anything. And then I created the web fluid. I threw on the sweats and goggles from my suitcase that I had from the foster home and used my powers to help people. Little things. I've stopped buses from hitting people, helped old ladies cross the street. Stuff like that." Peter stopped, thinking that would satisfy Tony. It didn't.

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain how you got here. Here in prison."

Peter sighed, clearly not wanting to tell this part of the story. But he did anyway. "I was found on the street. Not as Spider-Man, just as me. I was caught for all the money I owed the hotels. They tried to cuff me, but I fought back. What I didn't realize then was how strong I became. From the spider bite. When I fought back, I fought a little too hard. They thought I was a maniac. An animal. They arrested me. And I've been here ever since."

Tony took it all in for a minute, then proceeded with questioning. "What about when I found you? You weren't here. You were wandering around in an alley."

Peter hesitated, but told Tony anyway. "I tried to break out. I couldn't take it anymore. You found me after about a week and during that time, I went out. Being Spider-Man. Helping out with the little things. The videos you saw on YouTube were taken in that same week. And then, I met you. But after Germany, they caught me again. But they caught me as me. No one knows about Spider-Man. Well, they know _about_ Spider-Man but nobody knows that _I'm_ Spider-Man."

"So they just think you're a regular kid-"

"A kid with insane strength," Peter corrected. "That's why I'm here. Alone. I'm not with the other prisoners upstairs because they think I'll strangle them all to death." He looked down, eyes sad. "I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know why I even became Spider-Man. Maybe to prove I'm something more? I don't know. All I know is that these abilities - these _powers_ \- they haven't made me anything special. I'm still the same dumb kid that I've always been. There's no point in me trying to prove anything. There's no point to keep running."

"You're not dumb, Peter." Tony moved closer to the cell. He gripped his hands around the rusty, cold steel. "How'd you make that web fluid, huh? I don't think a dumb kid would even know how to begin making that. Look at me, kid." Peter looked into Tony's eyes, head remaining still.

Being closer, Tony could now really notice the kid's eyes. They were a chocolate brown color, much like Tony's, and they were doughy and soft. They were the eyes of a child. But most of all, they were sad. Tired. Hurt. Broken.

Tony didn't understand why, but looking into Peter's eyes, he had a sudden urge to protect him, make sure nothing bad would happen to him ever again. Without thinking, he made a decision. He looked straight into Peter's eyes. "I'm getting you outta here."

"Peter, took a step back. "What?"

"I'm getting you outta here." Tony repeated, firmly. "You can come and stay with me for a little while until you can sort things out. What do ya say?"

Peter couldn't believe what was happening right now. Getting out of this hell to live with Tony Stark. _The_ Tony Stark. Iron Man. His hero. 

He smiled at Tony, who was waiting for an answer. Peter, however, was in shock. But he knew what his answer was. He could burst into tears. Tony didn't know how much this meant to him.

With hope written all over his face, Peter answered Tony. "Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do ya think? Should I continue this? Let me know. Also I just want to let people know that I'm taking fanfic ideas from people in the comments. Just go to my account and then go to the fic titled 'I'm looking for ideas to write about' and all the info will be there. That's how Lake9 gave me the idea for this fic. (Thanks so much!) If you have an idea for me, be sure to leave a comment there, please don't comment new story ideas to this fic. I just want to clarify, you can leave ideas for THIS story here. But for NEW story ideas, leave them in the 'I'm looking for ideas to write about' page. I think that's all. If you have any questions or are confused about anything, feel free to ask. I don't bite, I promise! :) Thanks again to Lake9 and stay tuned for more!


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! Hope you enjoy!

It took a lot of paperwork - and a lot of money - to bail Peter out. But luckily, Tony has had lots of business experience. He was also a billionaire.

They received a lot of weird stares from people on their way out, but neither of them cared. Peter was thrilled to finally get out of this place. He wore a huge grin the whole time, and was still smiling when they walked to Tony's car.

Peter opened the door to the backseat, but froze when Tony gave him a look. "Why are you getting back there?"

"Well, I just thought, you know I-I thought that maybe..." Peter stuttered.

"Kid," Tony said. "You can sit in the front. There's no rule saying you can't."

"Yeah, I knew that," Peter whispered, embarrassed. He closed the door to the back and pulled the handle to the front instead. He sat down in the passenger's side and buckled his seat belt.

On the ride, they both sat in silence. Until eventually Tony spoke up. "What's going on, kid? You're stiff."

Tony was right. Peter was as stiff as a piece of wood. He hadn't moved an inch, and that grin that was plastered on his face was replaced by an uneasy frown.

"I just," he started. "Are you sure about this?"  
  


"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

Peter turned his head to look out of the window. "I just wanna make sure that you..." he took a long pause. "I wanna make sure you're not gonna regret this."

Tony glanced over at him, still making sure to focus on the road. "Peter, I can assure you, I've made a lot of decisions I regret. But this is definitely not one of them."

Peter looked back at Tony. "Are you-"

"Yes, kid. I've never been more sure."

Peter faced forward, looking through the windshield. When Tony recruited him to fight alongside him in Germany, he felt like he finally had a purpose. But it only lasted for about a week before he was back in that jail cell. No one to talk to, nowhere to go. And now he was sitting in the front seat of Tony Stark's car, sitting by Tony himself. He had no idea what Tony saw in him, but he was just thankful that someone sees _something._

His thoughts were interrupted when a massive building with the Avengers _A_ plastered on the side came into view. "Wait. Is this the Avengers base?"

"Yeah we call it the compound. Come on, I'll give you a tour." Tony let himself out of the car and waved his hand at Peter in a "let's go" motion. Peter quickly unbuckled his seat belt and caught up with Tony.

Tony opened the door for Peter and urged him inside. "Welcome home, boss." Peter froze, alarmed. He could've sworn he heard a voice, but no one else was around.

"That's Friday," Tony said, now standing beside Peter. "She's my A.I. She pretty much runs the place."

"She does?"

"Yeah. Watch this. Friday, dim the lights." Peter watched in awe as the lights in the room darkened.

"Whoa. That's so cool!"

Tony smirked. "Yeah, it is pretty cool, isn't it? Friday, turn the lights back up." The lights returned to their bright state. Tony nudged Peter's shoulder. "C'mon. I'll show you your room."

Tony led Peter upstairs to the bedrooms. There was a long, wide hallway with rooms lined up across both walls. Tony walked down the hall past a few rooms before he eventually got to Peter's.

"Okay, kid," he said. "This is our stop." He opened the door and let Peter look inside.

The room was massive. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary from an average bedroom, but it was _huge._

Peter walked in to get a closer look. Everything for the most part was just an ordinary bedroom - other than the amount of space and the giant flat screen TV mounted on the wall - but to Peter, it was something more.

At the foster home, he slept in a closet. It wasn't bedroom the size of a closet. No, it was a _literal_ closet. His bed was an air mattress that was deflated by the time he wole up in the morning. He had a blanket and pillow, but he still woke up on the hard floor due to the deflation of the mattress. There was no light in the room and no windows, and it was so small and cramped that he barely had any leg room.

And then jail. Jail was even worse. He slept on the hard cement floor every night. Some nights he slept sitting up against the wall. Other nights it was so uncomfortable that sleep never came.

After about five minutes of walking around the room and taking it all in, Peter turned to look at Tony. "Tony, I..." he was breath taken.

"You like it?" Tony asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Like it? I love it!" This room is awesome!"

"Really? I didn't think it was the best but all the other rooms were a little bit of a downgrade so I-"

"Are you kidding?!" Peter cut him off. "This is so cool!" He walked back over to Tony.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. And listen my bedroom is right across from this one." He pointed toward his room, which was right across from where they were standing. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to come and get me, alright?"

"Okay," Peter nodded, still smiling about his room.

"And if I'm not in there," Tony continued, "I'm probably in the shop."

Peter looked confused. "The shop?"

"Come on, I'll show you." Tony walked out of the room and motioned for Peter to come with him. He led him downstairs to the garage. "This," he announced while spreading his arms out, "is where all the magic happens."

"Magic?" Peter gasped. "Wait, is this where you build your suits?" He asked excitedly.

"Yup," Tony answered. "I build, design, run tests, make upgrades, etcetera. All down here."

"Whoa, awesome!"

Tony smiled at the way Peter was geeking out. Which reminded him of something. Peter was a kid. A kid who had suffered so much and didn't deserve the crap that people gave him over the years.

Peter was looking at all of Tony's Iron Man suits lined up alongside the wall. Geeking out about each and every one. Naming them all and telling which ones were used in what battles. 

"And this is the suit you fought that crazy guy with in Monaco! Remember, that dude with those electrical whip things? You took him down with this suit! So cool!" Peter looked like a little kid in a toy store right now.

Tony thought back to Monaco, how he had to stop that guy on the race track. He didn't think anyone remembered that now. Guess some people still do.

"Peter," Tony said, walking toward him.

"Yeah?" He turned toward Tony, stopping his geek moment.

"This is most likely where I'll be at night if I'm not in my room. So don't hesitate to come and find me."

"Okay," Peter nodded.

"And there's one more thing." Tony walked by him and clicked a button on a remote. All of a sudden, a portion of the wall opened like a doorway, revealing another suit. But this was not an Iron Man suit.

Peter's jaw dropped open as he stared at his Spider-Man suit. The one he fought alongside Tony with in Germany.

"I kept it," Tony said. "For you. In case, you know, in case we met again."

Peter couldn't look away from the suit. He couldn't believe this. He thought he'd never wear this suit again. His eyes drifted to Tony, who was standing next to it, admiring Peter's awe-struck expression.

"Tony," he said. Then smiled. "Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Peter's officially living at the compound. What'd ya think of chapter 2? Let me know in the comments. And remember, you can leave a comment on what you think should be included in this fic. You can give me small scenes to write, chapter topics, what you think should happen next. Anything. And I'm still taking requests on the 'I'm looking for ideas to write about' page, so comment any ideas for new fics there. Thanks so much and have a wonderful night/day!


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!

The next morning, Peter woke up in his soft and comfortable queen sized bed. He was buried under his comforter as the sun shined brightly through the windows.

For once, he actually had a decent night's sleep. Not having to curl up with his back hunched and aching to have a little space. Not getting bruises from leaning too hard against a cold cement floor. It felt good. _So good._

He would stay in this bed and sleep all day, if it wasn't for the smell of something delicious coming from the outside of his room.

He sat up in bed and sniffed a few times. It smelled like - pancakes?

Peter tore the covers off of himself and followed the scent out the door and downstairs. In the kitchen, he saw Tony. His back was facing Peter, invested in whatever he was doing over the counter. He was also softly whistling.

Peter just stood there, watching him. When Tony turned around, he smiled at him. "Good morning, Spiderling. You sleep well?" He held a spatula in one hand and a heaping stack of pancakes in the other.

"Yeah, uh, I slept really good actually." When the words came out, Peter was shocked he actually said them. He smiled at the thought, and watched Tony put the pancakes down on the table.

"Good. Well, I hope you're hungry. I also hope you like pancakes," Tony frowned. "Do you like pancakes? Shit, I didn't think this through did I?"

"I like pancakes," Peter said quickly, calming Tony.

"Oh, okay. Good. I thought I did something terrible for a minute there."

Peter raised his eyebrows slightly. Terrible? How could Tony think he was doing something terrible? It's barely been forty-eight hours and Tony has already made Peter's life so much better than it's been in fifteen years.

"No, I love pancakes. Sometimes my foster parents would make them." What Peter refused to say was that his foster parents would make some for their actual children and then if Peter was lucky, he would get to eat what they didn't finish. But by then, the pancakes were soggy and cold from sitting there soaking in syrup and they probably didn't taste as good as they would have if they were fresh.

"Oh, nice," Tony said. "Well sit down and eat up before they get cold." He didn't have to tell Peter twice. They both sat down and each grabbed a pancake from the stack.

As they were adding their syrup and whipped cream to their fluffy pancakes, Tony tried to make conversation.

"So, how was your first night in your room?"

"Good," Peter said, taking his first bite. "It was - oh my god!"

Tony tensed up. "What? Are you okay?"

"This pancake. It's...the _best_ thing I've ever tasted!"

Tony relaxed and breathed out a laugh. "Thank you, kid. I try my best. You know I'm not the greatest chef."

"Are you kidding? This is so good!" Peter said while stuffing more pieces in his mouth, "You should open up a breakfast place."

"Yeah, I don't know about that but I'm glad you like it, kid," Tony smiled. "I actually do want to talk to you about something."

Peter swallowed. "What?"

"How would you feel about going to school?"

Peter stared at Tony, taking a pause from eating. "School? I, I don't know. I've never been to school before. In foster care I was homeschooled."

"I know. And that's why I wanted to ask you. If you aren't comfortable with going to a public school I can always hire someone to tutor you here. I just thought maybe you'd like to make some new friends and-"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"I, I want to go. I wanna go to school," Peter answered, softly but surely.

"Okay." Tony and Peter smiled at each other. Peter, because he was _finally_ going to get to go to school. Tony, because it made him so happy to see Peter smile. They both proceeded eating their first breakfast together.

...

After hours of researching schools, Peter eventually found one that peeked his interest.

He and Tony were sitting in the lab, hunched over Tony's laptop. Tony was scrolling through the list of schools and checking them out one by one with Peter looking over his shoulder. "What about that one?" Peter pointed at the google link that read _Midtown Science and Technology School District._

Tony squinted to read the link. "Midtown? That's a great school. You want to check it out?"

"Yeah."

Tony clicked on the link. On the website, there were so many things to offer. A robotics club, advanced physics and science classes, an academic decathlon team, and lots of other options.

Peter was mesmerized with every word he read. "Whoa! They go to Washington D.C. every year to compete in the academic decathlon!"

Tony scrolled through everything as Peter read. "Yeah, and I bet they would advance even more if they had a big brain like yours on their side."

Peter blushed. "Tony, come on. I'm not that smart."

"Peter, are you kidding? You're the smartest person I know besides me."

"What about Dr. Banner?"

"Eh, he's alright."

Peter giggled. "Thanks, Tony."

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth." Tony clapped his hands together. "So, you think you want to go here?"

Peter inhaled through his nose. "Yeah, I wanna check it out."

"Alright, kiddo. I will call the number on this website and set up a meeting with the principal." Tony grabbed a pen and a sticky note and wrote the number down.

Peter's smile faltered. "A meeting? Do...do I have to go?"

Tony looked at him. "I mean, you don't _have_ to do anything. But don't you want to meet the principal? See the school for yourself?"

Peter looked down at his feet. "Well, I guess, but, I..."

Tony put the pen down and placed his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Peter, look at me. I know this is a little nerve racking, but it'll be good to put yourself out there and make a good impression. And I'll be there with you the whole time."

Peter's eyes met Tony's. "You promise?"

"Yes. You're not allowed to have the meeting without a parent anyway."

Peter raised his eyebrows. "Parent?"

Tony searched for his next words. They came out stuttered. "You...you know what I mean. A, uh, an adult. Someone over the age of eighteen. You know, a guardian. Someone who-"

"Tony," Peter gripped Tony's arm, the one that was on his shoulder. "Okay. I'll go."

Tony nodded, a little embarrassed. "Okay. Good. I'm glad." He turned his head back to the laptop and released his grip on Peter's shoulder. Once his eyes left Peter though, he missed the small smile that tugged on the boy's lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought? There's going to be a lot more cute and fluffy dad and son moments soon. I can't wait! :)


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should've gotten this out earlier but hey, better late than never, am I right? Anyway, here's chapter 4. I hope you enjoy!

Peter was sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch when Tony walked in and placed something in front of him. 

"What's this?" he asked.

"A phone."

"A phone? Like a cell phone?"

"Oh, this is not just any cell phone," Tony said. "This is the latest Stark phone."

"You make cell phones?" Peter asked, picking it up.

"Yeah. It's not what I mainly manufacture but that doesn't mean it's not the greatest phone ever created."

Peter examined the phone. It had a black exterior and looked pretty much the same as a basic smartphone, except it had the Stark logo imprinted on the back.

"What's this for?"

"It's for you," Tony said as if it were obvious.

"Me? Why?"

"Peter, you need a phone. In case something happens, you need to be able to contact me."

Peter turned it on. The Stark logo came on the screen and then it changed to the home page.

"Cool. Thanks, Tony." He placed the phone back on the table and proceeded eating his lunch.

"Yeah, no problem. Plus, you'll need it when you start school in a week."

Peter frowned as he swallowed his food. "You mean _if_ I start school in a week."

Tony pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. "Peter, you're gonna get in."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. They're gonna love you. I promise." Peter sighed and looked down at his food. Tony tried to change the subject. "How's your mac and cheese?"

Peter stirred his spoon around in the pasta before taking another bite. "It's good," he mumbled. "You don't have to go through all this trouble to cook for me though."

"Kid, it's from the box. It's not that hard to make. I have no problem doing it for you. I can show you how to make it if you want."

Peter nodded as he scooped another helping onto the spoon. "Okay, yeah, I'd like that."

"Alright, we can set some time apart for that." Tony stood and pushed his chair in. "I hope you're not sick of my cooking yet. Tonight's tacos for dinner."

Peter perked up. "Really? I've never had tacos before."

Tony's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. " _Never_ _?_ Okay, then I'll make sure to make them extra special. Just for you." He ruffled Peter's hair.

Peter smiled around the spoon that was in his mouth. He slightly giggled when Tony messed up his hair. "Tony, I work hard to make this hair look good!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you do, kid."

...

"How is it?"

Peter and Tony were eating dinner. Tacos. Just like Tony said. Peter was really excited to try his first taco ever. What he didn't realize is how messy they were. When he took his first bite, the hard shell cracked at the bottom down the middle and bits of meat, cheese, and lettuce went everywhere.

"Messy," he replied while chewing and trying to keep all the contents on his plate.

Tony laughed, while struggling to eat his taco as well. "Yeah, most tacos are."

"Mmm. It's really good, though."

"Glad you like it, kiddo."

...

"Hey, Underoos. Whatcha doing?"

Tony walked in the lab and found Peter sitting at his laptop.

"I'm looking at all the stuff they have a Midtown," the boy replied, taking a quick glance up a Tony.

Tony furrowed his brow. "I thought we already looked into all that."

"Ha! Not even close!" Look." Tony leaned over Peter's shoulder to look at the screen. "This academic decathlon team is insane. On top of competing in Washington, they go on an out of country trip every summer."

Tony looked amused. "Nice."

"I know! I hope I get into this place."

Tony looked at him. "You're going to. Don't you worry about that."

Peter smiled softly at him. "Thanks, Tony."

"You're welcome. Now don't stay up too late on the computer. We've got the interview tomorrow."

Peter's head snapped up to look at Tony as he started to walk out. "Tomorrow?" He asked, shocked. "I though you said next week!"

Tony's eyes narrowed. "No, we have the interview tomorrow and then you actually _start_ school next week."

Peter started to panic. He slowly rose from his stool and his breath was quickening. "Oh God. Tony, I'm not ready! What if they don't like me?! What if I'm not good enough to get in?!"

"Peter-"

"What if I do something stupid or say something dumb or stutter over my words or-"

"Peter!" Tony grabbed his wrists. It was only then that Peter realized he was pulling at his hair, forcefully. He was struggling to breathe and his heart rate has sped up. "Peter..." Tony spoke, softly this time. "Peter, breathe. Deep breaths, now, it's okay. Look, copy my breathing." He exaggerated his breathing with deep and slow inhales and exhales.

Peter said what Tony said and copied his breathing pattern. He eventually breathed at the same rate as Tony. He was calm.

"Good." Tony let go of his wrists in favor of resting his hands on his shoulders. "Kid, I know this is scary-"

"Yeah, right," Peter scoffed. "You go on interviews and talk in public all the time. You have no idea how scary this is."

"Actually," Tony inhaled and held his breath for a second. Then he released it as he said, "I do."

Peter's face softened. "You do?"

"Mhm," Tony nodded. "When I first had to start doing interviews and stuff, I was even younger than you. Like _way_ younger. I was four when I built my first circuit board. And damn was I proud of myself. Lots of other people were proud of me, too. People like the press. They wanted to know more. I swear every minute after that I always had a camera and microphone shoved in my face. And I was _four_. I didn't know what the hell to say. The first time I was asked a question in front of the whole goddamn world I was petrified. But overtime, I just go used to it. I had to. It was my job."

Peter's eyes wandered down to the floor, then glanced back up at Tony. "Wow. I...didn't know that. I'm sorry."

Tony shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry for, kiddo. The point is, I know you're scared. And that's okay. You have every reason to be. But if I know one thing for sure, that school is missing out on a whole lot if they deny you. But I'm not even going to acknowledge that because you're getting in. And I will be with you the entire time, okay?"

Tony didn't realize how close he and Peter were, but Peter didn't seem to mind so he stayed put.

"Okay," Peter said.

...

About three hours later, at around 11 o'clock, Tony went back down to the lab to see if Peter was still there. He hadn't seen him come upstairs since they talked and he needed sleep, especially tonight.

Tony got to the bottom of the stairs and sure enough, there was Peter, sleeping on top of Tony's laptop. His arm was propped up on the keyboard and his head was resting in the crook of his elbow. Tony watched for a minute as Peter breathed slowly through his nose, his arched back rising and falling with every breath. 

Tony didn't want to wake him, but there's no way Peter was comfortable like that. He walked closer to him, careful not to be too loud, and gently shook his shoulders.

"Peter," he whispered. "Come on, wake up."

Peter stirred and moaned softly, and his eyes cracked open. "Mmm, T'ny," he mumbled.

"Yeah, it's Tony. Why don't you go sleep in your own bed?"

Peter yawned and rubbed his eyes as he lifted his head from the computer. "M'kay." he stood and started to walk up the stairs. Tony followed him out of the lab.

Tony was still close behind Peter when they got to his bedroom. Peter plopped himself on the mattress and laid down. He was about to pull the covers over him, but Tony got there first. He made sure Peter was comfortable before he tucked the blanket around him.

"Goodnight, Spider-ling."

Peter smiled as he drifted off. "G'night, T'ny."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my page that I was taking requests on had to be deleted. I got an email from the Archive people saying it wasn't allowed on the website because it's not considered a fanfic. Which, I get. But don't worry. I will still take requests for new fics anytime. And I'm also still open to suggestions you guys might have for this fic. Stay tuned! :)


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out. The next chapter shouldn't take as long. Here’s chapter 5. Enjoy!

Peter slowly trailed into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and yawning. His hair was a mess of curls from sleeping. He pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. He crossed his arms on the table and buried his face in them.

Across from him at the stove, Tony was making some french toast. He was dressed in a fancy suit and tie and his hair was parted perfectly.

Spatula in hand, he flipped the piece of bread in the pan onto a plate. He did the same with another piece and brought it to the table. When he turned, he noticed Peter. 

"You alright, Pete?" He asked in a concerned voice.

Peter lifted his head keeping his eyes closed. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand. 

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I'm just tired."

Tony sat down next to him. "Are you sure you're just tired, or is something else bringing you down?"

Peter opened his eyes to look at him. He crossed his arms on the table. He sighed. "I'm really dreading this interview."

"Why?"

He hesitated before he spoke. "Cause I don't think, I mean, why would they want me? This is stupid. I'm not worthy of going to this school. I'm just a foster kid with no real education."

It broke Tony's heart to hear him talk like that. Peter was the smartest kid he ever met. Why couldn't he see his potential? Tony thought back to when they first found the school online. Peter's face lit up as soon as he started reading about it.

He looked into Peter's eyes. They looked the same way when he found him in that jail cell. That same tired and hurt look. Tony hated seeing that look.

"Peter," he said sternly. "Listen to me. Just because you've lived in foster care, doesn't mean you don't have a future." He brushed a stray curl out of Peter's face, but pulled his hand back when the boy gave him a look. He cleared his throat. "You deserve to go to this school. You are so, _so_ bright. Don't let what your life has been so far stop you from moving forward."

Peter stared at him with unmoving eyes for a minute, then gave him a half smile. "Okay."

"Good. Now, you really do look tired." Tony narrowed his eyes. "You were thinking about this last night, weren't you?"

Peter sighed as he nodded. "A little."

Tony tapped his fingers on the table. "How late were you up?"

Peter's eyes looked away from him. "I woke up at one a.m. an didn't fall back asleep until four."

Tony placed his hand on his back. "You can sleep in the car, okay?" It's not that long of a drive, but it should be enough to boost your energy."

"Okay."

Tony smiled. "Alright, now eat your french toast before it gets cold." He slid the plate in front of Peter.

Peter smiled and picked up his fork and knife. He dug into the delicious breakfast that Tony made for him yet again. He really should open up a restaurant. Every meal Peter's had so far has been like heaven.

...

Tony turned the radio on at a low volume to help Peter sleep. He stayed silent as Peter drifted off, leaning his head to the side. The kid slept the entire time, the music playing softly in the car.

About twenty minutes later, Tony pulled into the school parking lot. He turned the car off and looked over at Peter, who was still asleep. His arms were crossed and his head had lolled to lean up against the window. He shifted, moving his head to face Tony, letting his cheek rest on his shoulder.

Tony wanted to just let him sleep., but he knew he couldn't do that. They had an interview to go to. 

He placed his hand on Peter's shoulder and rubbed small circles with his thumb. "Peter, we're here."

"Mmm," Peter hummed.

"Come on, buddy."

Peter breathed though his nose and opened his eyes. He sat up straight. "Mmm. Are we here?"

Tony mumbled a laugh. "Yeah, we are."

Peter rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and took a glance at the school from the windshield. The first thing he noticed was the sign that said _Midtown Science and Technology_ in giant block letters at the top of the building. 

"Whoa," he said as he gazed at it.

"Yeah, 'whoa'," Tony mimicked. "You ready to go in?"

Peter looked a little unsteady. "Uh, yeah, yeah." He took a deep breath. "Let's go."

Tony kept his eyes on him as he unbuckled his seat belt. He gave him a small smile. "Alright, kid. Let's do this."

They walked to the front of the building and Tony held the door for Peter. They made their way to the principal's office and Tony spoke to the woman at the front desk with Peter standing silently next to him.

"Principal Morita will be right with you. Please have a seat," the woman said.

"Thank you," Tony smiled.

He put an arm around Peter's shoulder and guided him to a row of chairs lined up against the wall. They sat beside each other and waited.

As Tony sat calmly, Peter was jittery. He was bouncing his leg up and down and his eyes darted from place to place around the room. He gripped his hands tightly on the arm rests of the chair. His knuckles were turning white.

Tony stared at him. When Peter flicked his head to his direction, their eyes met.

"What?" Peter breathed.

Tony raised his eyebrows. "You're fidgeting."

"No I'm not." His leg bounced even faster.

Tony chuckled. "Peter, it's okay. You'll be fine." He placed an assuring hand on his shoulder and locked eyes with him. Peter calmed slightly at the gesture. 

"I just don't wanna screw this up."

"You won't. And I will be sitting next to you the entire time."

Peter's lips curled into a small smile. "You know, Tony, you keep reminding me of that. That you'll be with me, and I just want to thank you. It really helps."

Tony smiled back, rubbing his shoulder again. "You're welcome, kid."

The woman from the front desk appeared then. "Peter Parker, the principal is ready," she said sweetly.

"Alright, let's go, kiddo." Tony stood and started walking toward the woman, Peter following suit.

The woman led them into the principal's office. Once she dropped them off, she left and closed the door gently behind her. 

The principal was sitting at his desk. He had dark hair that was short on the sides and formed a small wave at the top. He had small brown eyes and a generous smile was spread across his face. Once Peter and Tony walked in, he stood and greeted them both.

"Hi, I'm Principal Morita." He shook Tony's hand.

"Hi, I'm Tony. This is Peter."

Morita shook Peter's hand when Tony introduced him. "Hi, Peter. It's nice to meet you."

Peter swallowed and spoke with a shaky voice. "It's nice to meet you, too."

The principal smiled. "Welcome to Midtown Tech. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the seats across from his desk.

As Tony and Peter seated themselves, Morita took his place at his desk.

"So," the principal started. "I understand you're interested in attending our school, Mr. Parker."

Peter looked to Tony for a second, seeking help, but then realized Tony probably shouldn't be talking for him.

"Yeah, uh, I am."

"Great, so what are you interested in?"

"Interested in?"

"Yeah, like, do you like physics, biology, geometry, algebra..."

"Uh, I like physics, and geometry, and algebra, and biology, and chemistry, and..." Peter trailed off in embarrassment when he saw Principal Morita smiling and nodding along.

He looked over at Tony, who smiled along with him and and stretched an arm around Peter's shoulders.

"Well, Peter it seems you have an active interest," Morita said. "And Tony tells me you're extremely bright."

Peter hunched into himself and blushed.

"And he also tells me you've been looking into our academic decathlon team."

Peter's cheeks turned redder. He stared up at Tony. Tony smirked at him and patted his shoulder. 

"Yes," Tony spoke. "He hasn't stopped talking about it since he saw it on your website."

"Tony," Peter blushed.

Morita laughed. "That's wonderful. I love hearing students get enthusiastic about school."

Peter and Tony both smiled. Tony's was confident. Peter's was nervous.

"Well, Peter you seem like an outstanding kid," Morita continued. "And with Tony Stark as your legal guardian I can see how much you must already know."

Peter sat up in his chair. "Well, actually-"

"Yes," Tony cut off. "I've taught him a lot."

Peter turned his head sharply at Tony. What was he doing? He was lying. Tony wasn't his legal guardian. That's never been established. Why was he lying?

"That's excellent," the principal glossed over Peter's intense stare at Tony. "How wpuld you feel about starting next week?"

Peter stared worryingly at Tony, then looked at the principal, then back at Tony. When Tony gestured for him to say something, Peter looked back at the principal.

"Y-yes. I would love to start next week," he said shakily. 

"Great. We can't wait to have you, Peter. You seem like a fine young man." He stood up and Tony and Peter both stood as well.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Stark." He shook Tony's hand. Then Peter's. "You too, Peter. I'll see you next week."

"Thank you. Have a good one," Tony said.

"Thank you," Peter said.

Morita held the door open for them and Tony led him out.

When they got back in the car, Peter gave Tony that same look he gave him in the school.

"What are you doing."

"What?"

"Tony, you're not my legal guardian."

"Yeah, I know that."

So why did you lie to the principal?"

"Peter," Tony buckled his seat belt and started the car. "I had to. If they find out you don't have a parent or legal guardian there's no way they would even let you apply."

"You wrote that you're my legal guardian on my application?"

"Yes. And I have no problem with it."

Peter stared at him. He didn't understand this. He didn't understand this _entire_ thing. Why was Tony doing this? Taking care of him, getting him into school, _lying_ for him? He didn't understand the point of it all.

"Do you trust me?"

Tony furrowed his brow. "What?"

"The day you found me. You know, when you bailed me out. You said the only reason you cared was because you needed to know if you can trust Spider-Man. So, do you trust me?"

Tony nodded. "Absolutely."

"So why are you still doing this? Why do you still care?" Peter raised his voice a little.

Tony raised his, too. He sounded panicked. "Because, Peter I- I just..." he trailed off.

Peter let his voice be gentle. "Tony, you can tell me the truth."

Tony sighed. "I just want to protect you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, isn't Tony sweet? Sorry this took longer than the other chapters. I don't really have an uploading schedule. I kinda just get them out when I can. Just a reminder I am taking requests for this fic, so if there's something you want to see happen, comment below. I haven't gotten anything yet, but it still stands if you want to reach out. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned!


	6. 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Another chapter is finally here! Just to let you guys know, I’ve been thinking of a new plan. I decided that I’m going to keep writing out as many chapter as I can and upload them one at a time. If that’s confusing let me break it down. So right now, I actually have written up to chapter 8. Right now, I’m posting chapter 6. So basically, I’m just going to keep writing and post what I have done already. That way, you guys will always have something to look forward to. I’m also thinking maybe to upload every other day? Does that make sense. I don’t know. I’ll figure it out. Anyway, enjoy!

_Protect me from what?_ Peter wondered as he stumbled into bed that night. 

The conversation in the car was short. Tony got the last word.  _ I just want to protect you.  _ And the rest of the ride was silent. 

Peter couldn’t stop thinking about what that meant. Protect him from what? The streets? Jail? His foster parents? Peter’s been through all that and he’s fine. 

He decided to shake it off for now and not think about it. Tony would tell him when he was ready. For now, Peter was going to sleep. He had a long day with all the nerves of being interviewed.

He turned on his side and snuggled into his blankets. He shut his eyes and felt sleep take over.

Peter still didn’t know why Tony was doing this, but he had to admit, this was the most comfortable thing he’s ever slept on.

...

The next day, Peter and Tony were sitting on the couch watching tv. They were right beside each other, Peter’s knees crunched to his chest and Tony’s arms sprawled across the top of the cushions.

The compound was quiet. Mainly because it was empty. Which confused Peter.

“Hey, Tony,” he asked. “Where are the other Avengers?”

Tony looked at him for a minute, then back at the tv. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, don’t the other Avengers live here, too?”

“You know what happened, Peter. Remember Germany? You were there.”

“Well, yeah I guess. But isn’t this their home? Where else could they have gone?”

“I don’t know and honestly I don’t care. If Rogers and his team want to go rogue, then it’s none of my business where they end up.”

Apparently that was the end of the conversation because Peter stopped asking questions after that. And Tony was clearly done talking about it.

They continued watching their show.  _F.R.I.E.N.D.S_ (because why not). Peter didn’t ask Tony any more questions. He didn’t want to annoy him, but he didn’t understand what was so bad about Germany. Yes, Tony and Cap had a little falling out but did they really not even want to  _ look  _ at each other?

“Hey, what do you want for dinner tonight?” Tony interrupted his thoughts.

“What?” Peter was so deep into this he didn’t hear Tony.

“I said what do you want for dinner tonight?” The man spoke with more emphasis to his words.

“Uh, I don’t know. Whatever’s fine.”

“Do you want to order a pizza?”

“Sure.”

“Alright. Let me go call it in now.” Tony stood and was about to leave, but paused for a moment. “Peter?”

Peter turned his head towards him. “Yeah?”

“Stop thinking about Cap.” 

...

They ordered a large cheese pizza with a two liter bottle of Sprite. They were sitting across from each other at the kitchen table, the pizza box in between them. 

They ate in silence, just staring at their food and occasionally glancing up at each other.

When both their plates were cleared, they lingered at the kitchen table for a while. There was no rush to clean up, so they just relaxed for a few minutes.

Then Peter broke the silence.

“What about me?”

Tony didn’t understand the question. “What?”

“If Captain Rogers found me first, and I was fighting for his side, would you still be doing this? Taking care of me? Giving me a place to stay? What would’ve happened?”

Tony had no clue what to say to that. He stared blankly at Peter, wondering why he was still going on about this. Why couldn’t he just let it go? Cap was gone. There was nothing Tony could do about that.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Peter I...” he sighed. “I guess I would...” he shook his head. “I don’t know. Didn’t I tell you to stop thinking about this?”

Peter ignored that last sentence. “Tony, Steve Rogers was your friend. And despite what you say, I think he still is. And I think you care about the others, too. Wanda, Sam, Clint...everyone. You just won’t admit it.” He hesitated before he said his next words. “And if I was on that side, I’d be more at risk of going back to jail. I was a vigilante and you bailed me out. And you barely knew me. You’ve known Steve Rogers for years. And you’re shutting him down because he’s a criminal. So was I. So tell me, why am I getting cared for and he’s not?”

Tony was baffled. He just stared at him, wide eyed. He managed to open his mouth to get a few words out. “Because you’re...”

“Because I’m what?”

Tony tried to find his next words, but couldn’t seem to get them out. He shut his mouth, not able to think of anything.

Peter stood with his empty plate in his hand. “Call him.” He walked away.

...

Tony stared down at the flip phone in his hand. The only thing he could contact Steve with. Just one push of a button and he’d be talking to him. 

He flipped it open and hovered his thumb over the call button. His eyes were on his thumb, then glanced up to the screen that read  _ Steve Rogers _ _._ Just staring at the name brought back everything at once. The war. The arguments. The accords.

But with all that brought back everything before that started. 

Fighting alongside each other. Doing each other favors. Being a team. Being together. Talking. Smiling. Laughing. 

Being  _friends_.

Tony couldn’t deny he missed it. He missed  _him_.

But he would never say it out loud. And he couldn’t face this right now. 

He slapped the phone shut and cursed under his breath. He dropped it on his desk and left it there when he went upstairs.

In his room, Peter was sound asleep. He was bundled up in the blankets. All that could be seen was the tip of his nose up to his mop of brown curls. 

Tony took gentle steps toward him and knelt down beside the bed.

He sighed. “You never give up do you? Huh, Spider-Man?” He carded his fingers through Peter’s curls and pushed them from his forehead. “Because you’re my kid, Peter. That’s why.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to let you guys know two things after reading this chapter. Number one: this is NOT a stony fic. And number two: I am team Iron Man. (Sry team cap people.) Now, do I hate Captain America? No, not at all. I love him. However, do I love iron man more? Yes, yes I do. Lol. Stay tuned for more :)


	7. 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 7! Enjoy!

About a week later, Tony woke up at around seven am and knocked on Peter’s door. 

“Kid?” He called. “You up?”

When he heard no reply, he opened the door and peeked his head in the room. 

Peter was still sleeping. Rays of sunlight were streaming through the windows and lit up his face. 

Tony opened the door all the way and walked inside. He leaned over Peter and gently shook his shoulder.

“Kid,” he said softly. “Come on, wake up. You don’t want to be late for your first day of school.”

Peter inhaled deeply and rubbed eyes his open. “Mm, what time is it?” He mumbled.

“It’s seven.” Tony spoke in a normal volume now. “Come on, get up. School starts at seven-thirty.”

Peter sat up in bed and yawned. “Alright, alright. I’m up.”

“Good, now go get ready. I’m making a quick breakfast before you go,” Tony said as he a started to leave.

When Tony closed the door, Peter threw the covers off and scrambled to get ready. 

He studied the clothes in his closet, most of them Tony bought for him, very carefully. He wanted to make sure he looked presentable, but not too fancy. If he dressed in a suit and tie, he would look too over the top. But if we wore ripped sweatpants and a hoodie, he would look gross on his first day.

He eventually decided to go with a pair of jeans and a light blue sweater. Hopefully it was nice enough but not too raggedy. 

He then made his way to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and washed his face. Then he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair needed work. His curls were all over the place. 

He took a comb and some of Tony’s hair gel. He brushed his hair back as much as he could and then matted it down with the gel. 

Once he was all freshened up, he went out into the kitchen to have some breakfast. 

Tony was setting two plates of scrambled eggs on the table when Peter walked in. When he looked up, the first thing he noticed was Peter’s hair. 

“Did you use my hair gel?” 

Peter froze. “Uh, yeah. I-I hope you don’t mind. I promise I’ll never use it again if you don’t want me to I never meant to waste-“

“Peter,” Tony stopped him. “It’s fine. You can use as much as you want. Although I hope you don’t, I like your curls.” He ruffled his hair slightly. He pulled back when he got a handful of grease stuck to him. “Christ, kid. How much did you put on?”

“As much as I could to hide these stupid curls.” 

“What’s wrong with your curls?”

“Tony, they make me look like a child.”

“You are a child.”

Peter sighed. “I just don’t want to embarrass myself on the first day.”

Tony sat down, placing two cups filled with orange juice on his and Peter’s side of the table. “Peter, don’t you worry. I know it can be scary being the new kid, but you’re going to fit right in.”

Peter didn’t know what it was, but every time he spoke to Tony, he felt better about everything. It was like nothing could hurt him as long as he had Tony. 

“Thanks, Tony.” He smiled.

“No problem, kid. Now eat up, I didn’t make these eggs for nothing.”

Peter giggled and ate his breakfast.

...

Tony rolled up to the front of the school. Peter looked out the window. 

He’s been here before, once. But it was different this time. This time, it was crowded with people. Kids. All his age or somewhere around it. 

Already, people were staring. At him through the window, sitting in the front of Tony’s Audi. At Tony sitting in the driver’s seat. 

It must have been strange, Peter thought, to see Tony Stark pulling up to a high school. Hopefully though, no one would recognize him. He made sure to wear something that he normally wouldn’t wear in public. Some gray sweatpants and an old Beatles t-shirt. And he topped his look off with a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap. 

“Ok, Peter,” he said, his eyes only focused on the kid. “This is our stop.”

Peter looked around at all the kids swarming the building. Some were rushing in, clearly not wanting to be late. Others were just casually strolling to the door, not really concerned with time. 

Some kids walked and talked with their friends. Others were alone. Some had headphones in, some were carrying books, and some had backpacks that weighed more than them. 

“-ter? Peter?”

He came out of his distracted state and looked at Tony.

“Yeah?”

Tony kept his eyes on him. “You okay?”

Peter looked panicked. “Uh, I-I don’t know about this anymore.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I-I don’t know. I just- I can’t. Everyone here is already, you know, and I’m just...” his breath was quickening. He was sweating a little, and his heart was beating faster than his breath could keep up with. He clutched at his chest. It felt like he was suffocating because he was a new kid at a new school and if he made a bad impression everyone would hate him and no one would like him and-

“Peter!” Tony’s hands were on him. His arms were wrapping around his small frame. “Peter, breathe,” he said gently. “Breathe.” He rubbed his back soothingly. 

Peter didn’t realize he was crying until he felt his tears stain Tony’s shirt. He was still breathing rapidly and his heart was going a mile a minute.

“Peter, remember what we did last time?” Tony said, trying to remind Peter of the way he calmed down last time this happened. “Remember, you copied my breathing? Can you do that again?”

Peter nodded and did his best to concentrate. His head was still in Tony’s chest. He listened very closely to Tony’s heartbeat and his steady breaths. He tried to get his breathing to match. He focused hard until all that could be heard were little sniffles. 

Tony pulled back a little and lifted Peter’s chin. “Peter,” he graced the side of his head. “It’s gonna be alright. I promise.”

Peter was still sniffling a little, but his little anxiety attack had subsided, so that was good. It meant he could focus and take in Tony’s words. And he really needed it right now.

“Tony, I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can. I know you can. And you have your phone right?”

Peter reached into his pocket and took out his smartphone that Tony gave him. “Yeah.”

“Good, now I know you can go in there and make the best out of your first day. But if you feel overwhelmed, just ask the teacher to step out of the room and give me a call, okay?” His fingers trailed through Peter’s greasy hair. “If you want to come home, I’ll come get you.”

Peter shakily nodded his head as he sniffled. “Okay.” He slid his phone back into his pocket and took a dee breath. He wiped his eyes as much as he could to get all redness out. Then he looked into Tony’s front mirror and fixed his hair. He made sure to slick down every noticeable curl.

Tony laughed as he watched him. “I hope you don’t plan on using that gel everyday. I think you look better with curls.”

“I do not.”

“Well, I disagree. Besides, that gel is technically mine. So,” he shrugged.

“Sorry I used so much of it,” Peter said.

“It’s okay, kid. If you want I can buy you you’re own bottle.” Peter just smiled at him. Tony smiled back. “Come here, kiddo.”

Tony leaned in for a hug, and Peter went straight into it. They held each other tightly for a moment.

“Have a good day,” Tony whispered. “You’re gonna do great.”

“Thanks.” Peter opened the door and stepped out of the car. He looked at Tony one last time before slamming the door shut. He turned toward the school with his head held high.

Tony smiled as he watched the kid walk to into the building from the car. When the principal said “Good morning” to Peter, he didn’t miss the small smile the kid returned. 

He was going to be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uploaded this chapter from my phone. I did the same thing with the last chapter and I usually don’t use my phone. I use my computer. If anything looks weird, can someone let me know? I personally see no difference but if it’s better to post from my computer then I’ll switch back. It’s just a little easier using my phone because I write the chapters out on my notes in my phone first and then I can just copy and paste. It’s just faster than having to rewrite word for word the stuff on my phone on my computer. But if my computer’s better I’ll switch back. Stay tuned!


	8. 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s another chapter! This one introduces some familiar characters from Midtown Tech. Enjoy!

The principal guided him to his home room, and then he let the teacher take over. “Everyone,” she announced to the class. “This is Peter. He’s new to this school, so I want you all to be nice and make him feel welcome.”

Peter stood beside the teacher. In front of the whole class. 

“Peter, do you want to tell the class a little bit about yourself?”

He felt the urge of a panic attack coming on, but he swallowed his fear. He could do this. For Tony.

He took a deep breath. “Uh, sure. Um, hello. My name is Peter Parker. I, uh, I’m fifteen and I’m from here in, uh, Queens. And I live with T...” he stopped himself. He couldn’t tell the class he lived with Tony Stark. He couldn’t tell anyone. The only person who knew was principal Morita. And he promised to keep the secret. Peter couldn’t blow it. “My parents. I live with my foster parents.”

When he seemed to be done, the teacher stepped forward. “Thank you, Peter. It’s very lovely to meet you. You can go have a seat next to Ned. Right over there.” She pointed to the left side of the room where a boy, whose name was apparently Ned, was sitting alone at two-person lab desk. 

Peter nodded and made his move to sit next to him. 

“Hi,” Ned said with a smile. “I’m Ned.”

“I’m Peter,” he said, shyly but kindly.

“Listen, I know we just met and everything but if you ever need anything or if you need someone to show you around, you can ask me.”

Peter was surprised, but thankful that someone was willing to help him. “Thanks.”

For the remainder of class, Peter and Ned worked on assignments together and talked. 

Turns out, they had a lot in common. They both loved Star Wars, they both were fans of the Avengers, and they both had passion for science. 

Ned was even on the academic decathlon team. And he told Peter all about it.

“It’s really cool. We go compete in DC every year and win or lose, we always have a good time.”

“That’s sounds awesome! I looked into the program when I was on the school website. It really sparked an interest in me.”

Ned perked up. “We’re having a meeting after school today. If you want, you can come with me and check it out for yourself.”

Peter felt a new found happiness inside him. He couldn’t believe how nice Ned was being, even though they had only just met. “I’d like that a lot. I’ll just text...” he almost said Tony. But he knew he couldn’t. “My foster parents. I’ll text them during lunch and see if it’s okay with them.”

“Awesome,” Ned replied.

Peter felt bad. He wanted to make a good impression but he was already lying. He knew it was for his safety and Tony’s, but he hated the fact that he had to hide the truth from what might be his only friend.

At the end of class, the bell rang and all the kids started filing out of the room. Peter and Ned picked up their backpacks to follow suit, but they were stopped for a minute by their teacher.

“Peter,” she called while handing him a piece of paper. “Here’s your locker number and the combination code. Ned, maybe you want to help him move his belongings in?”

Peter took the paper while Ned nodded in affirmation. “Yeah, I’d love to help.”

The teacher smiled. “Excellent. You know,” she folded her arms, “I think you two are going to be good friends. I can already tell.”

The two boys smiled at each other, then looked down to the floor.

“Come on, Peter,” Ned said. “Let’s go get your stuff in your locker.”

Peter thought the lockers would be bigger, but he wasn’t complaining. All his stuff fit and Ned showed him the right way to keep it all organized. 

Ned was in the middle of telling him how color coding his binders for each class is a really helpful strategy when all of a sudden, a kid not much taller than either of them appeared beside Peter, cutting of their conversation. 

“So,” the kid said. “You’re a foster kid.”

Peter recognized him from his first class, but never caught his name. 

He continued putting his things in his locker while simultaneously talking to this new person.

“Uh, yeah,” he said. Peter didn’t understand why he led with him being a foster kid rather than just saying hello, but he guessed people had their own ways of doing things. Maybe he was a foster kid, too.

“What do you want, Flash?” Ned asked him, harshly. 

The kid - whose name was apparently Flash - crossed his arms. “Shut up, Leeds.” He turned to Peter. “Why are you hanging out with this loser anyway?”

Now Peter understood. This guy didn’t want to be friendly. He was a bully. 

Peter came to Ned’s defense. “Hey, he’s not a loser, okay? And I don’t want any trouble.”

Flash laughed. “Oh, God. You’re already finding your clique here. A nerd. A geek. A  _loser_.  Just like him.” He nodded his head toward Ned. “Plus you’re a  foster kid.  Practically and orphan. What did you say your name was? Peter Parker? Ha! I oughta call you  _Penis_ Parker.”

Peter knew he could clock this kid into next week with his strength, but he thought better of it. He would expose the fact that he’s Spider-Man. And besides, he wasn’t going to ruin his first day because of some jerk. He wasn’t worth it.

Ned spoke up. “Flash, just get out of here.”

“Fine. I have better things to do than talk to you two morons anyway.” He disappeared down the hall.

Peter finished getting his things into his locker and slammed it shut. “What’s that guys problem?”

“Don’t listen to Flash. He’s just a bully with nothing better to do but pick on other kids.”

“Why is he so mean?”

“I don’t know. I’ve learned to just ignore him.” 

“You mean he does this to you every day?” 

“Well, not  _every_ day. Some days I get lucky and he doesn’t bother me at all. But most of the time, yeah. He does it a lot.”

Peter was amazed by the fact that Ned hasn’t gone crazy. I mean, how could he put up with it?

“Anyway,” Ned changed the subject. “We have to get to our next class. What’s next on your schedule?”

Peter pulled out the piece of paper that had his classes laid out in a time frame. “Uh, chemistry.”

“No way! Me too!”

“Really? Awesome! Let’s go!”

...

Turns out, Peter and Ned had almost every class together. The only thing they had differently was the class right before lunch - Peter had English and Ned had History. (Even though it was technically a science and technology school, they still had to take core classes, like English and History, to graduate.)

At lunch, Peter navigated around the cafeteria until he found Ned. 

He was sitting by himself. Well sorta. He was sitting on one end of the table and at the other end, there was a girl.

Peter looked at her for a good minute before sitting down. She had long curly hair. Brown, like Peter’s. And her skin was a tawny shade of brown. She was dressed in a loose pair of sweatpants and a white sweater, and she had a book open flatly on the table while she ate. 

Peter thought she was beautiful. 

He got so caught up in just looking at her that hadn’t noticed when Ned motioned for him to sit.

“Peter, come sit,” he said, waving his hand.

Peter escaped his trance when he dialed in Ned’s voice. He sat next to him and placed his tray in the table.

“You’re sitting alone?” Peter asked.

“Well, yeah. I don’t really have that many friends here. I talk to the kids on the academic decathlon team, but only when we’re together for, like, meetings and stuff.”

Peter felt bad. He wondered why people didn’t want to hang out with Ned. He was so friendly and sweet. He wanted to ask him, but didn’t feel that was a good idea. He didn’t want to make Ned feel bad about himself. Besides, he had Peter now. And he would always stick around.

He wanted to talk to Ned more about the academic decathlon, but he couldn’t get his focus off the girl sitting across from them. 

“Hey, who’s she?” He pointed to the girl without letting her see.

Ned looked in the direction Peter was pointing in. “Oh, that’s Michelle. She doesn’t really talk that much. She’s on the decathlon team, though.”

“She is?” Peter smiled. 

This was a good thing. Now he could meet her properly after school and maybe get to know her.

He didn’t realize he was staring until Ned waved a hand in front of his face.

“Dude,” he said. “You’re staring.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Ned looked a little closer at his face. “Peter, are you  _blushing_? ” 

Peter’s cheeks only got redder. “No, I’m not.”

Ned giggled.

“Ned! Shut up!”

He put his hands up in defense. “Alright, alright. Why don’t you go introduce yourself?”

“No, I don’t think now’s the right time. I want to wait until after school today. You said she was on the decathlon. She’ll be at the meeting today, right?”

Ned shrugged. “She should. She’s never missed meeting.”

“Okay, good.” Peter then remembered he had to call Tony and ask him about staying after. “Oh, that reminds me,” he pulled out his phone. “I better go call...” he almost said Tony, but he caught himself. “My dad. I need to call my dad and ask him about that.”

Ned didn’t notice Peter’s almost slip-up. Thank God. “Okay, you can just step outside the cafeteria and stand by the doors. No one’ll say anything.”

“Thanks, Ned.”

Peter stood and quickly exited the cafeteria to call Tony. 

He stood by the doors and found Tony’s contact in his phone. He tapped on it and held the speaker up to his ear. After a few rings, Tony picked up.

“Hey, kid. Are you okay?” His voice sounded muffled coming through the phone, but Peter could still hear perfectly fine.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine. It’s lunchtime.”

“Oh, nice. So how is it so far? Do you like it?”

Peter thought back on the day so far. He met his first friend, met some really awesome teachers, and learned so much already. “Yeah, I love it.”

“That’s great to hear, Peter. I knew you would.”

“Yeah, no, it’s great. I just, uh, I need to ask you something.”

“Ask away.”

“Okay. Uh, would you mind picking me up a little later? Like maybe around three? They’re having a meeting for the academic decathlon and I really want to go.” He said it like a little kid asking to buy a toy at the store. 

Tony laughed into the phone. “Of course, kiddo. No problem.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Sure thing. I’ll see you then. Have a good rest of the day.”

Peter smiled, even though he knew Tony couldn’t see it. “I will. Bye Tony.”

“Bye, kid.”

Peter hung up the phone and went back over to Ned.

Ned watched as he saw his friend come back to the table.

As soon as Peter sat down, Ned asked, “So? What did he say?”

“He said yes.”

“Yes,” Ned exclaimed while pumping his fists in the air. “You are going to love it, dude.”

Peter laughed at Ned, then he looked over at the girl sitting across from them.  _Michelle_ . He made sure to remember her name. 

He gazed his eyes on her. Her beautiful hair, her gorgeous eyes, her lovely face. 

Ned was right, he was going to love this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Peter had a crush on Liz before he starting liking MJ but I just like his relationship with MJ better. Plus I always think of Peter, Ned, and MJ as THE trio. Ya know? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Next one should be up Saturday!


	9. 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 9! Enjoy!

Peter followed Ned to the decathlon team meeting. He said it was in Mr. Harrington’s classroom. Peter didn’t know who that was, but he was excited - and also a little nervous - to meet him.

This Mr. Harrington would be the one to decide whether Peter was good enough to be part of the team or not. And Peter hoped to God that he liked him. If not, then all his excitement would be for nothing.

Two hallways and one classroom later, they made it to the meeting. On time, apparently, because everyone else walked in at either the same time or a minute after them. 

Peter sat down in the chair next to Ned. But when he looked up, he noticed someone he wished he hadn’t seen sitting at the other end of the table.

Luckily, he was at the seat furthest away from them, but he still was close enough for Peter to notice.

He tapped Ned on the shoulder. “Dude. What’s Flash doing here?”

Ned peeked his eyes to where Flash was sitting. “He’s on the team.”

Peter’s excitement suddenly turned to nerves and panic. “What?! You didn’t tell me that!”

“I guess it didn’t really cross my mind. And besides, if I told you then you probably would’ve backed down.” Ned said.

“I wouldn’t have backed down,” Peter said truthfully. This was the thing he was most excited for when he applied here. He wasn’t going to have it ruined by some bully.

He glanced back over at Flash, who made direct eye contact with him. Flash looked as if he were about to say something when he saw Peter. Like an insult or something to embarrass him in front of everyone. But before he could, a man with a mustard yellow jacket and a flat cap walked in and sat down at the head of the table.

“Hello, kids. Sorry I’m late,” he apologized. When no one replied, he folded his hands together on the table and continued with an inward breath, “So, first things first, I see all your familiar faces, but I also see a new one.” He said, eyeing Peter.

Peter shrunk into himself. He was already put on the spot once today. Now he had to do it again?

Before Peter could respond, Ned clapped his hand on his shoulder. “This is Peter, Mr. Harrington. He wanted to come to our meeting today. He’s thinking about joining the team.”

“Well, that’s great news, Peter,” the advisor said. “Now, I don’t mean to put you on the spot but I do need to know for competition purposes, what is your best scientific subject?”

Peter swallowed. “Uh, physics.”

He liked and was good at a lot of things, but physics was number one.

Flash rolled his eyes, but thankfully stayed silent. 

“Perfect. Do you have any questions before we start?” Me Harrington asked. 

“Um...” he tried to think. Although he  was  still panicking a little, he did have questions. Mostly about Washington, but he didn’t want it to come across like he was only trying to get on the team for the trip. That was completely untrue. So he simply said, “No.”

“Alright, well if you think of anything throughout the meeting, feel free to stop me and ask.”

“Okay,” Peter replied in a small voice.

He hadn’t noticed Michelle sitting across from him. Was she there the whole time? Peter didn’t know. But he didn’t care. All that mattered was that she was there now. 

She saw him looking at her, and she gave him a small wave of her hand.

Peter’s eyes widened in shock. He didn’t know what to do. He waved back. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what. 

He shouldn’t right now, it would be rude to have a side conversation in the middle of the meeting. He should pay attention to the teacher. 

He turned his focus back to Mr. Harrington, who was talking about their next competition. 

While his ears were tuned into the teacher’s voice, Peter still took occasional glances at Michelle. He’s never really had a crush on anyone before, but he thought she was truly the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen.

Her brown hair looked even curlier up close. It had a little bit of frizz to it as well. Peter thought it made her look even cuter.

He relaxed as he listened to the rest of what Mr. Harrington had to say. 

By the time the meeting was over, it was about five minutes before three. 

Tony would be here any minute, maybe he was already here. But Peter had said three, so he still had a little bit of time left.

He watched Michelle as she slung her bag around her shoulder and stood from her chair. 

“You gonna go over there?” Ned asked from behind him.

Peter looked behind his shoulder, startled. “Ned, don’t do that.”

“Peter, she’s about to leave. Hurry up!” He loudly whispered.

Peter took a deep breath. “Ok, I’m going.” 

He used his phone screen as a mirror and fixed his hair. The gel he put on this morning was wearing out. His curls were becoming more visible. 

He sighed but didn’t try to fix it anymore. The curls would have to stay.

Michelle was pushing her chair and and turned toward the door. Peter made his move. He caught her before she could go. 

“Hey,” he said loudly. He registered how loud his voice was and held back on his next words. “Sorry. That was loud.”

“It’s fine,” Michelle said. “You’re Peter, right?”

Peter was silent for a few seconds. He couldn’t stop smiling for some reason. His cheeks felt hot. Oh, jeez. He was blushing, wasn’t he? Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

He realized he hadn’t answered her question. There was just a linger of awkward silence in the air. 

“Uh, yes, yeah I’m Peter. Peter Parker,” he said finally.

He was nervous all over, but he couldn’t back out now. He was already having a conversation. Sort of.

“I’m Michelle,” she introduced.

Peter was still standing there awkwardly. He was clutching both of his hands on his backpack strap, which he had sling over one shoulder. Mainly to look cool, but no one needed to know that.

“Michelle,” he said, his voice squeaky. He cleared his throat. “Michelle. That’s a pretty name.”

Even though Peter was a nervous wreck, Michelle spoke calm and coolly. “Thanks, my friends call me MJ.”

“Do they?” Peter asked, trying to sound smooth.

“Yeah, or at least they would if I had any friends.” She deadpanned.

Peter didn’t know what to say to that. “Oh, well...” he trailed off.

“It’s fine,” she told him. “I like it that way. Too many people cause too many distractions.”

“Yeah, well, you know I don’t really have that many friends either.” He tried to keep the conversation leveled.

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Yeah, I mean you’re new. And the only person I’ve seen you talk to is Ned.” She pointed at Ned, who was watching them.

He gave Peter a thumbs up and a smile. Apparently he had confidence in Peter. But Peter wasn’t really sure he had confidence in himself.

He gave Ned a hurt smile. Then turned back to Michelle. “Yeah, well Ned’s a good guy. And we have a lot in common.”

She nodded with interest. “Cool.” She looked at the clock above the door. “I better get going.”

She inched closer to the door.

“Wait!” Peter stopped her. “Uh, I noticed you sitting alone at lunch and, well, I just thought, maybe uh...”

Michelle waited patiently as she watched him stutter. “Yeah?”

“Well, you’re more than welcome to sit with me and Ned.” He should’ve stopped there. But, classic Peter that he was, he started to ramble. “If you want. You don’t have to, of course. If you like sitting by yourself then I’m not gonna force you to. I just thought that maybe you’d want someone to talk to and I’m sure Ned wouldn’t mind if you sat with us. But of course it’s your choice. I don’t wanna make you do something you don’t want to-“

“Peter!” Michelle put a stop to his babbling. 

Peter found that sudden outburst of his name familiar. It sounded just like Tony when he tries to get Peter to stop his racing words.

Michelle spoke her next words kindly. “Yes, I do usually like to keep to myself. But I would be happy to sit with you and Ned tomorrow.”

Peter managed to calm his racing heart. “Really? Awesome.”

“See you tomorrow.” She left the classroom, but before she turned the corner, she looked back at him shyly batted her eyes.

Peter grinned, and watched her exit. He didn’t miss the slight blush on her cheeks as she left.

...

In the parking lot, Tony was sitting in the car waiting for Peter.

The look on Peter’s face when he came out of the building was something Tony was not expecting. He looked cheerful. 

He spotted Tony’s car and excitedly waved. Tony laughed, confused, but waved back.

Peter got in the front seat and threw his backpack in the back. 

Now that Peter was closer, Tony could see the redness of his cheeks. The kid sighed contently and leaned back in the seat.

“Well, you look ever so chipper,” Tony teased. “So you liked it?”

“Tony,” Peter sprang up and wrapped his arms tightly around Tony’s neck. “I loved it. Thank you.”

Tony was surprised by the hug, but rested his arms on Peter’s back in return.

“No problem, kiddo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure if the next chapter will be up in time for Monday, but don’t worry, I’ll get it out as soon as I can. Stay tuned!


	10. 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I’m not dead! So that’s good. Sorry for the EXTREMELY long wait. Anyways, here’s chapter 10. I hope you enjoy!

The next day at school, MJ sat with Peter and Ned at lunch, just like she promised.

They talked and laughed about things that happened throughout the day. 

Ned was telling a story of how his presentation in History class went horribly wrong.

Peter was howling with laughter. “Wait, wait, so you said Abraham Lincoln instead of George Washington?”

Ned tried to defend himself. “Well, I was thinking about Abraham Lincoln and I guess the name just came out.”

“Why were you even thinking about Lincoln when your project was on Washington?” MJ protested.

Ned just crossed his arms, but laughed along with them. 

Peter hadn’t felt this way in a long time. He felt relieved to finally feel happy. He had barely been here for two days and he was smiling more than he had in the past fourteen  _years_.  He mentally thanked Ned and MJ for that. They were only two people, but they made more of a difference in Peter’s life than they could know.

...

Tony walked into the living room and found Peter on the couch typing away on his phone. 

He knew it wasn’t right to invade his privacy, but he just took a  _little_ peek over his shoulder at the screen. He saw a name written across the top.  _Ned_ it read. 

He walked around the length of the couch and sat down next to Peter.

Peter felt the couch dip but didn’t look up from his phone.

“Hey, Tony,” he said.

“Hey. You like your phone?” Tony replied.

“Yeah,” he looked up and noticed Tony’s arched eyebrow and smirk. He shut his phone off and placed it face down on the couch. “Sorry, I was just texting my friend Ned.”

“It’s fine, Peter. I’m happy you’re making friends.” Tony reached over and rubbed his hand over Peter’s knee. “Dinner will be ready soon. What do you want to drink?”

“Uh, lemonade?” He said it more like a question then an answer. 

“You got it kiddo.” Tony got up from the couch.

Peter lifted his phone in his hand again and started texting. 

Before Tony left the room, he looked over Peter’s shoulder one more time. He noticed a different name on his phone. 

It read  _MJ_.

...

Tony and Peter were sitting across from each other at the dinner table. Tony made spaghetti. 

“Kid, you did your homework right?” Tony asked as he twirled spaghetti strands on his fork.

Peter shoved a piece of meatball in his mouth. “Mhm.”

“Ok, just making sure.” Tony eyed him before putting his fork in his mouth. “You spend all your time texting your friends now I want to make sure you’re being responsible.” 

“Hey,” Peter swallowed. “I’m responsible.”

“I’m sure you are, kid.” He took a sip of his drink. “So, what are your friend’s names?”

“One’s name is Ned, he was the first kid I met at school.” He hesitated for a minute. “And the other’s name is MJ.”

“MJ, what’s that’s short for?”

Peter felt his heartbeat pick up speed. “Uh, Michelle Jones.”

Tony smirked. “A girl?”

“Tony, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Alright, alright. I won’t tease you,” Tony chuckled.

The only reason he asked about his friends was because he saw their names on Peter’s phone. He didn’t tell Peter that, of course. He was just happy that Peter was having a good experience. 

After the two cleared off their plates, Tony took the dishes and silverware to the sink and started washing them. Peter remained seated at the table. 

“So,” Tony said. “What are you gonna do now?”

“I don’t know,” Peter sighed. “Why?”

“Well, I was gonna go down to the lab and work on a few things. Wanna come help me?”

“Yeah,” he said excitedly.

“Alright,” Tony cleaned the rest of the dishes on a matter of seconds, then dried his hands off with a dish towel.

“Come on, kid, let’s go.”

They went down to the lab. Tony brought out one of his gauntlets and placed it on the table in front of them.

“Whoa, that’s so cool!” Peter exclaimed.

Tony scratched his head. “Yeah? I need to fix it. For some reason, it hasn’t been targeting correctly.”

Tony poked through all the wires and chips while Peter sat there watching him silently.

Tony detached two long wires that came out of the arm of the gauntlet. He held one in each hand. “Hey kid, you think you could help me out?”

“Sure. What you want me to do?”

“See that wrench right there?” Tony pointed with his chin at the tiny wrench that sat next to the gauntlet.

“Yeah.”

“Can you grab that and try to reconnect this bolt? I think it came loose.”

“Yeah, sure.” Peter took the wrench and did as Tony asked.

While Tony held the wires apart, Peter fixed the bolt inside. He reached inside the gauntlet holding the wrench and carefully tried to tighten it. When he got it as tight as he could, he took his hand out.

“Okay, I think I did it.”

“Okay, kid.” Tony plugged the two wires back in the gauntlet. “Let’s see.” 

He put the piece of armor on and aimed it at the wall. He acted as if he were about to blast something, but he was only testing out the targeting system. When he found it was fixed, he shut it down and placed it back on the table.

“Nice work, Peter.” He pat his shoulder.

Peter beamed at him.

The two spent the rest of the day in the lab, tinkering with whatever they could find. Peter even got to work on some upgrades for his own suit. 

Three hours passed, and they were still working away. Tony looked up from his own project and noticed Peter’s eyelids drooping every few seconds. He looked down at his phone.  _11:37_.  No wonder Peter was working slower. He was tired.

“Peter, come on,” Tony whispered, prying the tool out of the kid’s hand.

“Wha’” Peter slurred, rubbing his eyes.

“Time for bed, spiderling. Come on.” 

Usually Tony would be down here until 3 am, but he didn’t want to keep Peter here all night. The kid needed his sleep.

“No I wanna st’y down here an’ work.”

“No, come on.” He wrapped his arm around Peter’s shoulder. “You’re falling asleep.”

“No I’m not.” Peter argued sleepily.

Tony laughed. “Yeah you are. Come on, time for bed.” 

Peter moaned and turned his head into Tony’s chest. He slumped against him, putting all his weight onto Tony’s side. Tony wrapped his other arm around him to keep him from falling. 

“Peter, you gotta use your legs to get to your bed. I can’t carry you.”

“Mm tha’s a good idea.”

“What?”

“Carry me.”

Tony sighed. He ran a hand through Peter’s hair, brushing it away from his forehead. He held him for a minute, then gave into his request. He scooped him up from beneath his legs. “Alright, hold on tight.” Peter wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck in response. He kept his eyes shut as his head rested against his chest.

Tony carried him all the way up to his room. He laid him down on his bed and covered him with the blankets. Peter inhaled through his nose as he turned on his side and snuggled deeper into the covers.

Tony smiled softly. “Good night, Peter.” On instinct, he knelt down and placed a light kiss on Peter’s forehead.

He pulled back, surprised at himself. Ever since Peter had come to live with him, he’s had to constantly remind himself that Peter was just here temporarily. It wasn’t like he was his son. This is just a place for him to stay until he gets his life sorted out. 

But every time Tony reminded himself, he couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like if this was Peter’s permanent home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I feel absolutely terrible for not posting. At first I was just having some writer’s block but then it kind of just turned into laziness. And I’m SO sorry for that. When I started this story, I made myself swear to not abandon it. And I will not. I am determined to complete this story. Again, so very sorry! Stay tuned! The next chapter will be posted shortly!


	11. 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11! This chapter is a little bit shorter than the others, but don’t worry, there’s more on the way! Enjoy!

Peter wanted to go out patrolling. He wanted to cruise around the city as Spider-Man, seeing if there were any bank robberies to stop or people in need of saving. He wanted to swing from building to building in his spider suit and mask. 

But he wasn’t sure what Tony would say.

Sure, he made Peter’s suit and even kept it for him, but Peter didn’t know if Tony would be on board with the idea.

It’s been...different since Peter started staying here. Everything he’s done has been with Tony. He has meals with him, he takes him to school (and picks him up), and sometimes they just hang out together.

Peter knew Tony wasn’t his parent. He wasn’t necessarily in charge of him, but it still felt wrong to do things without asking for his permission first.

It didn’t feel like Tony was doing him a favor anymore. It felt like a routine at this point. Tony would take him to and from school and on the weekends they would work in the lab or watch tv.

But Peter wasn’t just a teenager. He was also Spider-Man. And he’s been hiatus for too long.

The lab was quiet, the only sounds were Tony tinkering with his suit. 

Peter cleared his throat. “Tony?”

Tony paused his work to look up at Peter. “Oh, hey kid. I didn’t hear you come down. Wanna help me work on this?” He gestured to his current project.

“Um, actually,” he scratched the back of his head, “I have something to ask you.”

“Oh, okay.” Tony put his tools down and sat on the stool next to him. “Watcha need?”

Peter sat down on the stool next to him. He nervously rubbed his hands against his knees. 

“Um, I’m not really sure how you’re gonna feel about this, but,” he exhaled deeply, “I really want to go out.”

“Out? Like out with your friends on Saturday night?” Tony joked.

“No, I mean  _out_.  Like... patrolling.”

Tony looked hesitant as realization spread across his face. “Oh.”

“I wanted to check with you first.”

Tony was grateful for that. If Peter went out and something happened without Tony knowing... he didn’t want to think about it.

But he also knew that he wasn’t responsible for Peter’s decisions.

“Peter, you know I’m not the boss of you. You can make your own choices-“

“I know, I know. It just felt... wrong to not let you know first.”

Tony stared at him, confused. Why would Peter feel that way? He blinked when he realized he had been completely still. He stood and moved toward the wall with his back to Peter, whipping out his little remote.

“Well, kid, if you’re going out as Spider-Man,” he clicked one of the buttons and for the second time, Peter gazed upon the the upgraded suit that hid behind the wall, “you’re going to need a Spider-Man suit.”

Peter’s uncomfortable frown turned into a wide-eyed grin. The suit displayed in front of him was center stage, spotlight and everything. 

As he inched closer to it, he found himself standing right next to Tony. He slid his arms around the older man’s middle and pressed his head into his chest.

“Thank you.”

Tony returned the favor and hugged Peter close. He rested his cheek on his head.

“You’re welcome, kiddo. Can you promise me something though?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful.”

Peter hugged him tighter. “I will.”

...

The air became colder the farther he climbed up the building. He felt the chill blow through his nose with each inhale. 

The mask provided a slight barrier between his face and the wind, but he still felt the cool breeze.

His hand reached the edge of the roof and he propped himself to sit upon the top of the flat surface. He slid his mask halfway off to reveal his mouth and nose. He breathed in deeply. It’s been some time since he was able to be on top of a building. But this time, there were no cops chasing after him.

He felt bad for leaving Tony alone. It’s actually the first time they’ve been apart besides Peter being at school. It felt a little weird not having him by his side, but also good. He needed to have a little space to himself. 

He heard glass being smashed below him. He looked down to see that close by him, a bank robbery was in progress.

He slid his mask back over his face. 

This was going to be fun.

...

Tony was worried. When Peter had asked him if he could go out patrolling, a huge part of him wanted to say no. But who was he to tell Peter what to do? Tony was in no way in charge of him. At least,  _legally_ he wasn’t. 

Peter was fifteen. Not old enough to live alone but certainly old enough to not have to be monitored. He could take care of himself. After all, he  _did_ have superpowers. He could probably take Tony down if he really wanted to.

But Tony still couldn’t help but feel nervous. He may not have any authority over Peter, but somehow, he gained this urge to protect him. From what, he doesn’t know. 

The compound was quiet without him there. Tony tried to occupy himself. He cooked and ate dinner with Peter before he left, but had nothing to do afterwards. He tinkered with a few things in the lab. He watched tv. He read a few chapters of a book. 

But no matter what he did, Peter was always in the back of his mind.

Trying to distract himself wasn’t helping. He looked at the clock.  _9:23_.  He told him 11:30 the latest. Peter’s curfew wasn’t for another two hours. Giving up, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and stepped outside the compound. He leaned against the building and took a few sips as he watched the night sky, waiting for Peter to come home.

...

The air was cooler than when Peter left, and the sky darker. He swung through the night, returning to his home at the compound.

When he reached the building, he saw something he wasn’t expecting: Tony Stark sitting at the edge of the steps, his head leaning against the wall. 

Now on the ground with his mask off, Peter crept up to him. His eyes were closed and a beer bottle dangled lazily in his hand. Careful not to startle him, he gently shook Tony’s shoulder. 

“Tony,” he whispered. “Tony, wake up.”

With a sharp inhale, Tony woke and turned his head to see Peter. 

He rubbed his eyes. “Kid, you’re home.” He reached his arms over Peter’s shoulders and pulled him close. After a few seconds, Peter pulled back.

“What,” he giggled. “You miss me? I was only gone for a few hours.”

“I know, but...” Tony tapped his fingers against the bottle in his hand. He scratched his forehead. “It just felt...” 

Peter tipped his head so he was eye-level with Tony. “Felt what?”

Tony avoided his eyes and chose to instead stare out into the darkness. He took a breath. “Empty. It felt empty without you here.”

Peter kept his eyes on Tony’s face. “Why are you out here?”

“Huh?”

“Why aren’t you inside?”

Tony sighed, but admitted his reason. “Cause I was worried.”

“Y-you were?” Peter sounded confused. “No one’s ever been worried about me before. Usually they would just let me starve if I got hungry, or let my blood drip out of my hands when my foster brother pushed me into the street.”

Tony turned his body so he was fully facing Peter. His eyebrows scrunched together, his eyes were wide, and so was his mouth.

Peter licked his lips. “There’s a lot about my past that you don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said, there’s more on the way! Stay tuned!


	12. 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS THE MENTIONING OF VERBAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE OF A CHILD. IF THAT STUFF TRIGGERS YOU, PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS.
> 
> ——
> 
> Here’s chapter 12! And I want to give a huge thank you to usingmymadeupname for giving me the idea for this chapter. You’re awesome! Enjoy!

At school on Monday, the day went by pretty much the same as the days went the week before. Peter went through his classes, interested in some more than others, MJ sat with him and Ned at lunch, and Flash picked on them a few times. Peter was really irritated by Flash, but he tried to do what Ned did and just ignore him. 

However, during lunch, Ned brought up a subject that Peter was not prepared for.

“Did you guys see that Spider-Man guy on the news the other night? He took on six guys all by himself!”

MJ replied to his exciting news with an equally exciting tone. “Yeah, I saw that too! They were trying to rob the bank just two blocks from here. But then Spider-Man swooped in and had them all arrested!”

Peter wasn’t used to seeing MJ this excited. Usually she was pretty nonchalant and didn’t care about anything.

“Peter, did you see it?” She asked.

“Uh, yeah. I saw it on the news.” He tried to act as casual as he could about it. But inside he was on panic mode. He couldn’t let his friends find out about his identity. No one knew besides Tony.

“What do you guys think happened?” Ned asked.

“What do you mean?” Peter said.

Ned started talking with his hands, a french fry gripped in one of them. “Six months ago, Spider-Man made his first appearance. Then we hadn’t seen him return once. And then he’s fighting in Germany with the Avengers, and then he falls off the face of the earth again. And now he’s back all of a sudden? What’s going on with that guy?” 

Peter gulped. He wanted so desperately to change the subject, but then his friends would become suspicious. Although, when you look at this situation from the standpoint of someone like Ned, it really doesn’t make sense. Why would a superhero introduce himself to the world, leave, come back, leave again, and return once more. Was Peter even a superhero? He by no means was an Avenger. He had only met the team once, and they weren’t even all there. 

Thinking about the event made Peter’s mind wander to something else. Did Tony ever call Cap? He would have to ask him when he got home later.

“M-maybe he only comes out when he needs to,” Peter suggested, trying to keep his friends off his tail.

“Nah,” MJ said. “I think he’s hiding something.”

“Hiding something?” Peter worriedly asked.

“Yeah. I mean, he already doesn’t want us to know his identity, so he clearly has some big secret he doesn’t want to share.”

“I think you might be right,” Ned agreed. “All the other superheroes show their faces. Why not him?”

Peter’s heart was beating so fast he thought it might leap out of his chest. He felt his breath quicken. He needed to somehow change the subject. He needed his friends to stop talking about Spider-Man. About  _him_. 

“I need to use the bathroom.” It was all he could think of to get himself out of there. His legs were shaky, but he managed to get up and fast-walk his way to the restroom.

No one was in there.  _Thank God_.  He didn’t have to hide in one of the tiny stalls. He leaned his back against the wall and held his head in both hands. He gripped his hair and tried to calm himself. But trying to breathe was like trying to swim across the ocean.  _Impossible._

He needed to calm down. He needed to hold onto something. His hair, but that was only hurting his head. He could barely think straight. He could barely breathe. Tears started to prick at his eyes. But he willed to hold them back. He stood and let go of his hair. He tried latching his hands on the sink, but it wasn’t helping. He needed some _one_ to hold onto. He needed Tony.

He only just realized that he was beginning to have a full-on panic attack. 

He fumbled his hand around in his pocket and took his phone out. He dialed the only number he had besides Ned and MJ’s. It was also the only number he had on speed-dial. 

The phone rang once. Twice. And then, “Hey kid. What’s up?”

“Come get me.” He didn’t even bother saying hello.

“What? Peter, are you okay?”

The oncoming tears he had earlier were starting to build. They blurred his vision. 

“Tony,” he whimpered. “Please, I want to go home. Please come get me. Please-“

“Okay,” Tony cut in. “Okay, Peter. Shh, it’s okay. I’m on my way right now. It’s okay, shh.”

Hearing Tony’s voice comforted Peter. His whines were slowly quieting down to little shudders. 

“Peter? You alright?”

The phone slightly shook in his grasp, but he was coherent enough to speak clearly.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m alright.” Even though he clearly wasn’t. 

“Okay, I’ll be there soon. Hang tight, kiddo.”

Tony hung up, and Peter crouched down against the wall again. He sat with his knees up to his chest. He folded his arms on top of his knees and tucked his face into them. He waited as patiently as he could for Tony to come.

Ten minutes later, he was sitting in his next class when the intercom sung out to the class, “Pardon the interruption. Can we have Peter Parker for dismissal, please?”

It felt awkward to have his name called for everyone to hear. It was also awkward to walk out of the classroom and feel everyone’s eyes staring at him. But once he was out, he didn’t care. He burst through the doors and saw Tony leaning up against his car in the parking lot. 

Peter began to walk faster. Tony caught his eyes, and when he saw how tense Peter looked, he strode toward him. The two met in the middle of the parking lot, between the school and Tony’s car.

Tony caught him by the shoulders and held a tight grip. Peter latched on to Tony’s shoulder blades.

“Peter,” Tony said soothingly. “Peter, it’s okay. It’s okay kiddo.”

“I want to go home,” Peter cried.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Tony led Peter to the car, his arm around the boy’s shoulder. He opened the door for him and Peter climbed into the passenger’s seat. Tony drove one-handed, his other arm used to rest on the space just above Peter’s knee. Peter placed his hand on top of Tony’s. The ride fell into a comfortable silence.

...

“Kiddo, we need to talk.”

Peter sat cross-legged on the couch, a warm cup of tea in his hands that Tony made for him. The tv was on at a low volume. A soft blanket was draped over his legs and waist. 

It had been hours since Tony picked him up from school. They hadn’t spoken about what happened. Tony didn’t want to trigger anything, even though he didn’t exactly know what had set Peter off. 

The last few hours were spent with Tony occasionally asking Peter if he needed anything, if he was okay, and he even checked him for a fever, just to be sure.

But Peter seemed fine now. Tony wasn’t sure what had gotten him riled up at school, but if he needed Tony to come get him, the man was not going to say no.

Now, though, now seemed like a good time to talk about things that Tony should have already known.

“What do we need to talk about?” Peter asked, his voice small.

Tony sank down on the couch next to him. He fixed his eyes onto Peter’s. Tony only now realized how similar their eyes were. Both big, brown, and doughy. The only difference was Tony’s eyes were mellowing with age while Peter’s were young and innocent. 

_Young and innocent,_ Tony thought,  _but_ _still very much like mine. Broken._

He took a deep inhale through his nose.

“You gotta tell me about your past.”

Peter swallowed a sip of his tea.

“What do you mean? I did. Remember when you found me in jail? I told you what happened.”

“No, Peter,” Tony shifted a little. “I need to know the other stuff. I need to know what they did to you in foster care.”

Peter looked away from him. He focused on the armrest of the couch. He tapped his teacup with his fingernails. The air filled with awkward silence as Tony’s eyes still gazed on Peter’s face.

“Peter,” he said, softer now, “please.”

Peter glanced at Tony, then back to the armrest. He sighed.

“I think I was born into this world by mistake.”

“What?” Tony was taken aback. He wasn’t expecting  _that_ to be the conversation starter.

Peter set his cup of tea done on the coffee table. “Tony, my foster parents told me the story hundreds of times. When I was a baby, my parents died. Then my aunt and uncle took care of me for a little while, but then they died, too. Of course, I don’t remember any of that. I was six months old. I don’t even know what my parents looked like. Or my aunt and uncle. And then, you know what happened next...”

“Your foster parents found you.”

“Yeah.” Peter shut his eyes tight. He turned away from Tony. 

For a few seconds, they were both silent. Tony knew how hard this was for Peter, so he made sure to be patient with him. 

Peter let out a shuddering breath. “The last fourteen years for me were spent in pain, physically and mentally.” He shut his eyes again, clearly not wanting to say any more.

But Tony had to know. “Peter, you gotta tell me.”

“Well, um, th-the kids, my foster siblings, there was a boy and his younger sister. They were only a year apart. He’s seventeen now and she’s sixteen. Both older then me. They would, uh...” he trailed off. 

He glanced back at Tony, unsure if he should keep going. He’s never told anyone about this. But Tony’s patient waiting face made it clear that he should.

“They would call me names. An-and pick on me. They told me everyday that I was worthless. And that I was only living with them because my family was dead. Once, the, uh, the brother got mad at me for something. I can’t remember what exactly but he said...” he didn’t realize he was crying until he felt a hot tear roll down his cheek. “He said ‘why don’t you just go drown yourself in the pool outside, you worthless piece of shit.’” He raised his hand to his face and wiped away the tears. 

Tony felt like an asshole for making Peter tell him this, but he had to know. 

Peter paused to take a few breaths, then continued. “Sometimes they would try.”

“Try?”

“We’d be in the pool together and they would try to dunk my head under the water for a as long as they could.”

Tony’s sadness for Peter was starting to turn into something else. His eyebrows turned inward and he clenched his fist in anger.

Peter kept going. “The parents were no different. They never hit me, but they would say that I was a nightmare to deal with. And a burden. The mother even said it to me sometimes. Once, I accidentally dropped a plate and it broke in half. As she was picking up the glass she said, ‘Peter why are you such a burden?’ I tried as hard as I could not to cry in front of her.Because then she would just yell at me to shut up.”

“You said they never hit you, then what were you talking about when you said your hands were bleeding after your brother pushed you into the street?”

“I think I misspoke. The parents never hit me. But the siblings would. The parents just did nothing about it when they hurt me. And they would also make me go to bed hungry. I barely ever ate. I would eat the scraps they leftover. Sometimes I would try to sneak a couple of crackers into bed with me, but it wasn’t enough to please my empty stomach. Not to mention my bed was a deflated air mattress in a closet.”

Tony’s body relaxed. He unclenched his fists. The sadness returned. He felt his eyelashes getting wet. “So you-“

“And, um,” Peter cut him off. “Can you please not call him my brother? He’s my  _foster_ brother. Or at least he was.”

Tony nodded. “Yeah, of course. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just... he’s not my brother. She’s not my sister. And they’re not my parents. They’re not my family. They never were, and they never will be.”

The tears flowed down Tony’s cheeks. He sniffed. “Peter...”

It wasn’t long before Peter started crying again, too. “I just... there were so many moments where I thought ‘Am I even supposed to be here?’ I mean, my entire family’s dead, I was raised by people who didn’t even want me, and I was in jail for trying to get away! Seems like my life is just a constant disaster. And things kept being taken away from me. Food, my freedom... I just hope to God that they can’t take away the one good thing I have.”

Tony swallowed the lump in his throat. “What’s that?”

Peter looked into his tearful eyes. “You.”

Tony’s lips parted, and he smiled a tearful grin. He practically leapt onto Peter. He wrapped his arms around him tightly. The tightest he’s ever held him. He rocked him back and forth.

“Nothing could ever take me away from you, Peter. You hear me? Nothing.”

Peter grasped onto Tony just as tight. He was full on crying now. With his head tucked in Tony’s chest, he sobbed. 

Tony rubbed his back, drawing circles with his palm. His tears fell into Peter’s hair as a result of him leaning his cheek on top of it. He ran his fingers through it soothingly. He then pulled away, cupping Peter’s cheeks in his palms. He wiped his tears away with his thumbs.

“And don’t ever question yourself. You are meant to be in this world, okay? And you are meant to live a happy life. I’m going to make sure of that.” He paused and made sure he was looking directly in Peter’s eyes. “And, Peter, I would never,  _ever_ , hurt you.”

Peter sniffled, then smiled. “I know, Tony.” He held onto Tony’s strong arms. “I’d never hurt you, either.”

...

Peter had fallen asleep, his head in Tony’s lap. After their talk, they both stayed with each other on the couch. Tony started to lightly scratch Peter’s scalp, and they both fell into a comfortable silence. Peter’s eyes began to droop as Tony’s fingernails lightly trailed back and forth in his hair, and he slumped against him, his head falling on Tony’s leg. 

Even as Peter’s breaths evened out and he long since fell asleep, Tony still continued the motion. And eventually, he fell asleep, too, his head leaning forward to rest on Peter’s shoulder.

His hand was still tangled in Peter’s hair when he woke up. It was dark inside the compound. He looked outside the window and noticed that the orange sunset afternoon was now night, the sun replaced by a crescent moon.

As much as he wanted to, Tony knew he couldn’t stay in his current position all night. His back was already starting to ache. And Peter needed to sleep in his bed, too. 

Careful not to wake him, Tony gently lifted Peter’s head out of his lap and cradled the back to rest on the seat of the couch. He got up, digging his fists in the couch for support. Now standing, he rolled his head back, trying to release the stiffness in his neck. While he was at it, he arched his back as well.

He looked down at Peter’s sleeping form. Everything he told him earlier was still lingering in his brain, making his heart sting. How could anyone do all those awful things to someone so gentle and harmless? 

Tony knelt down, observing the way his chest rose and fell with every breath. Closing his eyes, he collided his forehead with Peter’s. He nuzzled his face with his nose as he quietly whispered, “I won’t let anything like that happen to you again. Ever.” He then stood, pushing a stray curl behind Peter’s ear. 

With a reassuring breath, he tucked his arms beneath Peter’s body, one under his legs, the other under his shoulders, and scooped him up. Peter mumbled, but didn’t wake. His arm came up around Tony’s shoulder. 

Tony carried him to his room, just as he did the night he fell asleep in the lab. 

As he tucked him into bed, Peter hummed, and opened his sleepy eyes. 

“T’ny,” he mumbled. “T’ny, di’ you ever call Cap’n Rogers?”

Tony paused.  _Crap_.  He thought Peter had forgotten about that. 

He pulled the blankets up over Peter’s shoulders. “Worry about that later Peter,” he whispered. “Just go to sleep.”

Too tired to argue, Peter muttered out a little, “m’kay,” and fell back into his slumber.

Tony sighed. Peter wasn’t going to let this go, was he?

He brushed his palm over Peter’s forehead and back into his curls. He leaned over and kissed him just above his eyebrow. He pulled back, and this time, he wasn’t surprised at himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to usingmymadeupname. They gave me the idea to expand more on Peter’s backstory, which was obviously a HUGE part of this chapter. Again, thank you so much! Stay tuned!


	13. 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Here’s chapter 13! Enjoy!

Peter Parker has always looked up to Iron Man. Ever since Tony Stark first announced his identity to the world back in 2008, Peter felt gratitude toward him. Even if he wasn’t physically there for his childhood, Peter always felt safe knowing Iron Man was around.

His foster family didn’t like Tony. Peter never knew why, but for some reason he assumed it was because he loved him. They always tried to make Peter feel that the things he liked were dumb. He’d never listen to them, though. If the rest of the world could have faith in Iron Man, then so could he.

For years, he thought he was Tony’s polar opposite. Peter was small, vulnerable. He had always broken down in the worst situations. He was fragile. But Tony was big and powerful. Nothing could bring him down.

Or so Peter thought.

When Peter was talking him about his horrifying foster family, he was expecting Tony to just sit there and listen. Which, he did, but Peter wasn’t expecting him to get emotional during it. 

Tony Stark -  _the Tony Stark_ \- cried as he listened to Peter’s pathetic past. And for the first time ever, he saw the Invincible Iron Man, his hero, break into tears.

He didn’t think less of Tony because of it. In fact, Peter felt even more comfortable around him knowing that he was somewhat vulnerable. He was somewhat like him.

Now, pulling up to the school’s parking lot in Tony’s car, Peter was more relaxed than ever. He pushed open the passenger side door and climbed out. 

“Peter,” Tony said.

Peter popped his head back in the car. “Yeah?”

“Have a good day, okay?”

Peter smiled. “I will.”

Tony leaned closer to him. “And if you need anything,” he whipped his phone out of his pocket, “I’m just a call away.”

“I, uh, I think I’ll be alright today. But I’ll still call if I need you.”

Tony nodded, a proud look on his face. “Okay, kiddo. You have fun.”

Peter closed the door and jogged into the building. 

Tony stared at him until he disappeared into the school, then he drove away calmly. 

...

Talking about his past wasn’t something he planned on when he escaped, but seeing Tony listen as he spilled it all out brought out a confidence Peter didn’t know he had.

As he was walking down the hallway, he felt lighter. Like telling someone about it had shoved an extra weight off his body. And, if he were honest, he’s glad that someone else knows now.

He entered his first period class, which was erupting with mumbles of different conversations by students.

Peter sat in his seat next to Ned and pulled out his textbook.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” Ned replied, smiling when he saw Peter. “We have an assembly today, just to let you know.”

Well, that was surprising. Peter was sure Ned would’ve asked about his sudden dismissal yesterday. He decided to ignore the thought. If Ned was nice enough not to bring it up, then Peter didn’t need to worry about it.

“About what?” He asked.

“Oh, they do it every year. It’s just an assembly to go over some school rules, talk about extracurricular stuff, and plan trips.”

“Cool,” Peter nodded. “Hey, do you think they’ll talk about the Washington trip?”

“Probably,” Ned shrugged. “They talk about all the upcoming trips. Sometimes they even try to shoot for new places to go.”

“Nice,” Peter said.

The teacher walked into the room then, closing the door behind her, which slowly silenced the kids’ chatter.

“Good morning, everyone. Let’s start off the day by doing some warm-up exercises on the board.” She wrote out three different equations on the dry-erase board.

Peter took out some notebook paper and a pencil and got to work.

Across the room, Flash was giving him a harsh glare. Peter met his eyes for a second but tried to block him out in favor of getting his work done. He wasn’t sure what Flash’s deal was today, but he’s sure he would hear about it either in the hall or at lunch.

Shaking the thought out of his head for now, he turned his head away from Flash and focused on his work.

...

Turns out, he was entirely right. 

At lunch, Flash came up to his table. As usual, Ned and MJ were sitting with him. And just like Ned, MJ never brought up what happened yesterday. (He truly has the most amazing friends.)

However, Flash has become an instigator.

“So,” he began, slamming his hands down on the table in front of Peter. “What the hell happened to you yesterday, Parker? You get dismissed in the middle of the day, and for what? You clearly aren’t sick. Was there a foster family emergency? Did foster mommy and foster daddy need you?” He said it mockingly. 

Peter just glared up at him from his seat. 

“Flash, just get out of here. That’s none of your business,” MJ said.

Flash ignored her. “Jeez, Parker, it’s bad enough you can’t defend yourself. Now you’ve got your girlfriend fighting all your battles for you?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Peter spat. 

Flash took a step back from the table.

“Whatever. Later, losers.” He strode back to where his “popular friends” were sitting.

“Don’t listen to him, Peter.” MJ placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Ned said. “Like I said before, he’s just a jerk.”

Peter smiled at the both of them. “Thanks, guys.”

The trio continued eating their lunch in peace. Ned and Peter started taking about Star Wars, and MJ giggled at their geekiness.

...

After lunch was when the assembly took place. All the students and faculty gathered in the auditorium. Peter, Ned, and MJ sat together of course. 

Principal Morita stood at the head of the crowd, a wired microphone in his hand. 

“Helloooo,” he bellowed into it. The speakers blasted his voice out from all angles of the room. “First of all, I want to thank all the students and teachers for taking the time out of your day for this important assembly...”

The speech started out with him talking about school rules (just like Ned said). There weren’t any rules he spoke about that were unexpected. No running in the halls, no talking while the teachers talking, etc. 

Eventually he got to school trips. This was what Peter was waiting for.

“And of course we have our annual Academic Decathlon Washington D.C. trip.”

Peter straightened his back and sat on the edge of his seat. 

“This trip,” the principal continued, “is a week-long journey chaperoned every year by our generous Academic Decathlon advisor, Mr. Harrington.” He gestured to where Mr. Harrington stood and waved for the whole room to see. The teacher then sat down and turned things back over to Morita. “On this trip, the students that make up the Decathlon compete with other high schools in a tournament of science and technology. And while they are not studying for the competition, they get to visit some of the state’s greatest landmarks, including the Washington Monument.”

Peter exhaled excitedly. He’s never been outside of the state before (besides Germany, but that was for important superhero purposes) and now he’ll get to go to one of the country’s most famous places and see everything it has to offer. 

And he even gets to compete in a science tournament. It’s about time that he can put his knowledge to use. 

And the best part was that Ned and MJ were both on the Decathlon team, so he gets to live out his experience with two of the most important people in his life right now. 

He wished he could bring Tony along too...

“...and that’s all of our school trips we have planned for this year. Now let’s get to talking about our annual fall dance that is taking place in about a week from now.”

Peter’s head snapped up. A dance? No one told him anything about a dance! He turned and tapped Ned on the shoulder. He whispered quietly so no one would hear him.

“Dude, you never mentioned anything about a dance.”

Ned leaned over and whispered back. “Oh yeah, it’s no big deal. It’s just a little fall dance they put on every year. It’s fun, nothing too extravagant.”

Peter grimaced and glanced over at MJ, who frankly made no facial expressions about anything that was said thus far.

Dances weren’t something Peter had thought of when he applied to go to school. He’d never been to a dance before. He didn’t even know how to dance. 

He took another quick glance at MJ. She was slouching in her seat, listening but not enticed to hear more.

People usually ask a person they like to accompany them to a dance, right?

“Thank you everyone for your time. Have a wonderful rest of your day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’m literally OBSESSED with Taylor Swift’s new album Folklore. No one really asked but I’d thought I’d say it. Taylor Swift is my favorite artist. Anyway, next chapter will be up soon! Stay tuned!


	14. 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yesterday was Peter Parker’s birthday and today is Chris Hemsworth’s. So happy birthday to them both!
> 
> Here’s chapter 14! Enjoy!

“Will you go to the dance with me? Would you like to go to the dance with me? My name is Peter and... ugh, you idiot! She already knows your name!”

Peter wasn’t very good at this. Then again, he’s never really done it before. It’s not doubt that he’s had a crush on MJ since the day he saw her. They were certainly friends by now, but Peter didn’t want it to end there. He wanted it to be  _more_.

He straightened up in front of the mirror and tried again. “MJ, will you go to the dance with me?” He voice cracked at the end of the word ‘me.’ “Ugh! I can’t do this!” He threw his arms up in frustration and flopped down on his bed.

There was a knock on his door. “Peter?”

He quickly sat up and reached for his phone, acting like he’s been on it the whole time.

“Come in, Tony.”

Tony opened the door and leaned against the frame. “Hey, kid I didn’t have time to prepare anything for dinner tonight so I was wondering if you wanted to go out to eat.”

“Uh, yeah sure. That’s fine. Where?”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t know. You decide.”

Peter thought for a minute. “Pizza?”

“You got it, kiddo. I’m going to change and then we can go, okay?”

“Okay.”

Tony exited, and with a heavy sigh, Peterfell backwards on his bed.

...

“Something bothering you?” Tony asked.

Peter glanced up from his three slices of pizza. Only half of one had been eaten. 

The pizza place - ironically named  _Tony’s_ \- was the closest one to the compound. It wasn’t crowded considering it was a Tuesday evening. Which was a good thing. Tony didn’t need crazed fans and news reporters swarming him while he was trying to eat, especially since he had the kid with him.

“Why?”

“Well, I’ve never finished a meal before you. Normally with your metabolism you could eat this whole box if you wanted.”

Peter looked at Tony’s plate, which was sure enough empty. He was right, Peter normally would’ve finished by now. 

He fiddled with the edge of his own plate. “We had an assembly at school today and they mentioned an upcoming dance.”

Tony leaned back in his chair. “A dance? Like homecoming, prom?”

“No, no, not anything like that. Yet, at least. It’s just a casual fall dance.”

“Okay. When is it?”

“Next Saturday. But...”

Tony narrowed his eyes. “But what?”

Peter sighed. Then realized who he was talking to. “Hey, you’ve dated a lot of girls, right?”

Tony lifted his eyebrows. “More or less. I’ve had my fair share. Is there someone...” he smirked.

“Yes, yes!” Peter blurted. “It’s my friend MJ.”

“Oh, so you  _do_ like her.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Yes I do, okay? And I really want to ask her to the dance, but, I don’t know how. Will you help me?”

Tony smiled, and leaned his elbows on the table. “Peter, of course I’ll help you.” 

“Okay, so what do I do?”

“Well, first I want you to finish your pizza because I don’t want you to be hungry later.”

Picking up his half-eaten slice, Peter obeyed, shoving greasy cheese and sauce in his mouth. 

“Good. This dance is next Saturday?”

“Yeah,” Peter replied, chewing on a mouthful of cheese.

“Okay, so you got some time. Now, she’s already your friend, so you the hard part’s over. You guys are already hanging out together.” 

“Okay..”

Tony watched in amazement as Peter wolfed down his second slice and was already munching on his third. He’s glad he got the kid to eat. He was clearly hungry.

“So, try to get her alone with you and make up some conversation. Then casually bring up the dance and ask her.”

Satisfied with his plan, Tony shrugged and leaned back, his arm resting on the back of the chair.

“But how exactly do I ask her?”

“Just say, ‘hey speaking of the dance, will you go with me?’”

Peter was still having doubts. “But what if she says no?”

“Well, kid, if I’m being honest, if she says no it’s her loss.”

Peter swallowed. “What do you mean?”

“If a girl doesn’t want to go out with a kid like you, she’s missing out on the perfect partner.”

Peter was flattered but still didn’t understand why Tony thought so much of him. 

He pursed his lips. “Thanks, Tony but I’m far from perfect.”

Tony shrugged. “Well, no one’s necessarily perfect. Not even me.”

Peter giggled. He looked down at his plate. Crust crumbs were scattered all over it. “Tony?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m still hungry.”

...

The name stared daggers into his eyes. 

The lab was quiet, the lights bright overhead. 

Tony sat on a stool with his elbow propped on his desk. He held the flip phone tightly in his hand.

A part of him wanted to just hit the call button and resolve everything, but the other part said he was better off without him.

As he sat hunched over the phone, he wondered what Steve was thinking. Did he miss Tony? Was he guilty? Did he have doubts? 

Did he forget all about Tony?

Tony wasn’t forgetting him any time soon. Peter made sure of that.

He would do anything for that kid. He’s already proved that. But this was one thing Peter asked for that he couldn’t do.

Shaking his head, he snapped the phone shut and dropped it back on his desk. 

He had to somehow make Peter forget about this.

Upstairs, he found the kid sitting in the couch watching tv.

He turned his head as he heard Tony come in the room. “Hey, Tony. What were you doing in the lab?”

“Uh, nothing. Just working on a suit.”

Peter popped up on his knees. “Can I see?”

Tony scratched his head. “Uh, not right now. Why don’t you head up to bed?”

“It’s only nine o’clock.”

“And spider children need their sleep.” He clapped his hands twice. “Chop chop. Off to bed now.”

Peter sighed but complied, bouncing up off the couch and heading up to his room. 

“Goodnight, kiddo.”

“‘Night.”

A couple hours later, when he was sure Peter was asleep, he snuck into his room to give him a proper ‘good night.’

He tucked the blankets tighter around Peter’s shoulders and kissed his temple. “Goodnight, Spiderling.” 

...

At around three a.m., Peter woke up and couldn’t seem to fall back asleep.

As he stared up at the ceiling, his mind wandered back to earlier in the night. Why did Tony send him to bed so early? And why was he not allowed to go down in the lab?

There was definitely something he didn’t want Peter to see. But why?

He ripped the covers off himself and entered the hallway just outside his room.

Opening the the door across from his as quietly as he could, he peeked inside and made sure Tony was in there. Once he saw that Tony was sleeping, he closed the door and crept down into the lab.

Tony had given him the combination to the lab door in case of emergencies, so getting inside was no struggle. 

The lights flashed brightly in his eyes once he turned them on. Looking around, he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Until he decided to scavenge around Tony’s desk.

The one out of place thing was the silver flip phone lying flatly next to the computer. Why would Tony have a flip phone? He had the most advanced technology in the world. 

Curious, Peter flipped it open. The phone’s screen automatically showed a contact list. 

But the only name Peter saw on it was  _Steve Rogers._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is actually a pizza place not too far from my house named Tony’s and we got pizza from there the day I wrote that scene. Just a funny little tidbit. Oh, and you may see some new characters coming soon. Stay tuned!


	15. 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 15! Enjoy!

The only thing that had made Peter feel less nervous about this was Tony sitting next to him. But he wouldn’t be there when the time came, so he would have to get over it.

The day had finally come for Peter to ask MJ to the dance. Tony told him to wait a couple of days so he could practice a little. He also told him he should wait so he didn’t seem desperate.

Despite Tony’s guaranteed plan and all of the tricks he taught him, Peter still had an inkling that she wouldn’t want to go with him. 

He knew MJ by now, she was smart, determined and knowing of what she wanted. (Plus she could be a bit mysterious at times.) And he was, well, Peter. 

“Hey, stop thinking,” Tony said, not looking away from the road.

“Sorry,” Peter sighed. “I’m just nervous.”

“I know you are. But don’t be. Everything will fall into place.”

Peter still didn’t understand Tony’s confidence. In general yes but also in him. From the day he got him out of jail he’s had nothing but high stakes for Peter. 

He’d be the first.

The car stopped, and Peter swears that was the fastest Tony’s ever driven. 

He stared at the building from the window, butterflies tickling his gut.

“Hey,” Tony said, “it’s just a regular day at school, remember?”

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You can.” He turned Peter’s shoulders to face him. “And no matter what the outcome, you trying is enough.”

Peter nodded. “Okay.”

Tony patted his shoulder. “Now take a deep breath.”

Peter sucked in a nose-full of air, then released it through his mouth.

“Good. When you ask her, just stick to the plan and remember the tricks I taught you. And remember, it’s just a regular day at school.”

“Got it.”

“Have a good day, okay?”

“I will.”

...

“Hey, Peter. You ready to go to lunch?”

It was almost time. Peter went through the whole morning with jitters racking his body. He could barely focus in class he was so nervous. He was putting his books in his locker when Ned came up to him.

“Yeah, um, about lunch today, I need a favor from you.”

“Sure. What?”

“Can you maybe wait a few minutes before you come sit at the table?”

Ned looked confused. “Why?

“Well, um, I want to ask MJ to the dance and I need to be alone with her.”

Ned smiled. “Ah, you’re going in for the kill. I got it.”

Peter playfully punched him. “Shut up, dude.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll move a little slower in the lunch line.”

“Thanks.”

The two began walking toward the cafeteria, side by side in the hall.

“Hey, so does this make me like your wing-man?” Ned asked.

“Dude, you’re my only friend.”

“Yeah but still, does it?” Ned had this hopeful grin on his face, like this is something is really wanted.

Peter clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Ned, I’ll let you be my wing-man if you let me be yours.”

Ned patted him back. “Of course, dude.”

The cafeteria was already full of kids by the time they got there. They spotted MJ at their usual table, sitting alone. Peter and Ned fist-pumped before parting ways.

“You got this, bro,” Ned said. Then he made his way to the long lunch line, where he promised to take his time. (He also promised to grab Peter’s lunch for him, Peter gave him some money.)

Peter made his way over to the table and sat next to MJ.

“Hey, Peter,” she said.

“Hey, MJ. Uh...” his mind went frantic as he tried to remember Tony’s plan.  _Just start out casual._ “So, how’s your day been?”

“Fine,” she answered as she took a bite of a sandwich. 

“Uh, anything new happen at all today?”

“No.”

This was even harder than Peter thought. He looked over to try and find Ned, who disappeared behind the lunch line door. 

Those butterflies from earlier were coming back. He felt his heart start to pick up speed. Suddenly, the plan, everything Tony had taught him, was all going fuzzy.

“Um, well, you know, there’s still time in the day left. Something new could happen at some point. You just, you know...”

“Peter?” MJ looked concerned now. “Are you okay?”

No, no he was not. He was everything but. The plan wasn’t going smoothly like Tony said it would. He had to calm his racing heart. The plan, the plan...

He had everything he needed for the plan to work. Except the most important thing: the guy who came up with it.

Peter closed his eyes for a second and thought of nothing but Tony. Tony made everything better, even in his head. He took a deep breath. 

“MJ, the dance.”

“The dance?”

“MJ, I really like you. And, if you want, I would like you to be my date to the dance.”

MJ stilled for a moment. Then she smiled, her cheeks turning pink. “Is that why you were freaking out for a second, there? Yes, I will gladly be your date to the dance.”

Peter let out a breath of relief, and smiled. “Really? You’ll go with me?”

MJ giggled. “Yes. And for the record, I really like you too.”

Ned came back with two lunch trays. He placed one on the table in front of himself and the other in front of Peter. 

“So, what’s going on, you guys?” He said casually.

“Oh, nothing,” MJ said, her eyes gazing into Peter’s.

Peter tapped Ned’s leg under the table without looking away from MJ. When Ned looked down, he saw his hand form a thumbs up, then a waiting fist. Ned touched his knuckles to Peter’s, then smiled down at his lunch.

Peter clearly had told him without saying anything,  _dude she said yes._

...

Peter wanted to hide his smile. He wanted to tell Tony calmly, but there was no sheltering the blushed grin on his face. 

“So she said yes?” Tony asked. 

Peter sat in the passenger’s seat and clipped his seatbelt. “Yes! I can’t believe it actually worked!”

“I told you, kid. They don’t call me genius for nothing.” 

Peter laughed. Now that the nervousness of the whole thing was gone, all he could feel was joy. He was going to the dance with MJ. 

“So, did it go as I said it would?”

“Uh,” Peter scratched his head. “Sort of?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, at first I didn’t really know how to approach it, and I thought about the plan and everything, but I was starting to panic. So in order to not panic I, uh, thought of something that made me calm.”

“Did she notice you were panicking?”

“A little. But she said yes. And that’s all that matters!”

Tony laughed. “You’re a hundred percent right, kiddo. And I’m proud you were able to calm down by yourself.”

“Yeah...”

Little did Tony know that he was the only thing that could make Peter feel calm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait... again. Don’t worry though, as I said before, this story will be completed. Stay tuned!


	16. 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16 is finally here! Enjoy!

“Hey, so what do I wear to this dance?”

A few days had passed since Peter asked MJ his burning question. It was now the week of the dance, and he realized he was not prepared at all.

Tony was stationed next to the stove, stirring a big pot of marinara sauce. “A suit and tie.”

“Unless you count the Spider-Man suit, that’s something I don’t have.”

“You can borrow mine.”

Peter looked up from his phone. “What? I won’t fit into one of your suits.”

“I still have the suits I wore when I was your age. Dad always took me with him to his science conferences and galas.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Better yet, why don’t you have ‘em?”

“Really?”

“Yup. All yours, kiddo. Their just sitting in my closet collecting dust. Might as well give them to someone.”

Peter didn’t even know what to say. Tony was willing to pass something down to him, and he wasn’t even his kid. 

“Wow, uh, thank you.”

“No problem, kid. Dinner’s ready, you wanna set the table?”

Peter reached in the cabinet and took out two bowls for him and Tony. He also grabbed two sets of silverware and cups for drinks. 

They sat down at the table and quietly ate their pasta and meatballs, which was Peter’s favorite meal of Tony’s. 

It was delicious as usual, and Peter scarfed down every bit of pasta in a matter of minutes. 

Tony giggled.

Peter looked up. “What?”

“You’ve got sauce all over your face.”

“Oh.”

“Here, I got ya.”

There was red sauce smeared all around Peter’s mouth and cheeks. Tony held his head with one hand and used the other to wipe Peter’s face with a napkin. 

They stared at each other for a moment, not saying what they were thinking. Tony broke his gaze and threw the napkin away.

“ Ahem.  Well I, uh, better clean up and do the dishes so..”

“Yeah, yeah.” Peter stood and carried his dish to the sink.

“Why don’t you wash up and get ready for bed.”

“Okay. Need any help cleaning up?”

“Uh, no kid. I got it. Thanks.”

Peter nodded and headed upstairs. Tony turned the handle on the faucet and started scrubbing the dishes. Peter started at the back of his head for a minute. His lips curled into a small smile. He quietly disappeared up the stairs.

...

“So, you have an outfit for the dance?” Ned asked.

“Yeah, I’m borrowing one of my dad’s old suits.”

It had gotten easier to say his dad was this or his mom was that as time went on. He refrained from slipping up and mentioning Tony’s name altogether. 

“Have you seen your dad’s old suits yet?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m just saying, what if it looks like something that came out of a 1940’s circus?” 

Peter laughed. “My dad’s not that old, Ned.” 

“Speaking of your dad, would he let us hang out sometime that’s not during school?”

Peter looked at him. “Um, I’m not sure. Why?”

“Well, it’s just that we see each other in class every day, but then we always get interrupted cause, you know, we’re at school. Don’t you want to hang out, just the two of us, and not worry about schoolwork?”

Peter wasn’t sure what to say next. Of course Tony would let him and Ned hang out, but Ned can’t know that Peter lives at the Avengers Compound. With Tony Stark. He’s made it this far without letting anyone know. He can’t blow it.

“Uh, I can talk to my dad tonight about it.”

“Cool. Let me know tomorrow.”

The bell rang. Time for chemistry. 

...

“We have a problem.”

Tony and Peter were in the lab, working on some minor suit upgrades. Tony was putting something together with a screwdriver.

“What’s the problem?”

“Ned wants to hang out with me.”

Tony looked confused. “How is that a problem?”

“He wants to hangout outside of school. Like me at his house or him at...” he glanced around and gestured his arms around the lab, “...my house.”

Tony put the screwdriver down. “He can’t come here.”

“Yeah, I know that. So what should I tell him?”

Tony sighed deeply. “Hmm. I guess you could hang out at his house. I’ll pick you up. We just can’t let him or his family see me.”

Peter hopped up on the table behind him. “How are we going to do that?”

“I’ll think of something. Just tell Ted you can hang out at his house tomorrow and I’ll let you know.”

Peter snorted. 

“What?”

“His name’s Ned, Tony.”

Tony swatted his hand at the air. “Whatever. Just tell him.” 

“Okay,” Peter said, still laughing. “What’s that?”

“This,” Tony said, pointing at the device he was working on, “is for you.”

“Me?” Peter leaned closer to it. It was a hunk of screws and metal. It was only the size of Peter’s hand.

“Yup. It’s not even close to being ready yet, but soon you’re not going to be wearing spandex anymore.”

Peter popped up with interest. “What does that mean?”

Tony smiled. “You’ll see.” He ruffled Peter’s hair.

Peter scrunched his face up in response. He giggled. “Oh, I see. It’s a surprise.”

“Only if you don’t peek.” He covered Peter’s eyes with his hand. 

Peter pried Tony’s hand away. “Okay, I get it.” He jumped off the table. “I’ll be upstairs.”

...

Ned’s house was bigger than Peter expected. It wasn’t as big as the compound of course, but it was certainly bigger than his foster parent’s. There were framed photos on the walls of almost every room. Pictures of Ned with his parents, of when he was little, of him with the Decathlon team. 

They took the bus to the house, and when they got there, Ned called, “Mom, I’m home!” and a woman just a tad bit taller than Ned came into the living room.

Mrs. Leeds greeted Peter in the friendliest manner, telling him she’s heard so much about him from Ned. 

“It’s so great to finally meet you, Peter!” She shook Peter’s hand. “Ned tells me you’re one of the smartest kids at school.”

Peter blushed, his eyes darting back and forth from Ned to his mother. “Well, I’m not so sure about that.”

“Mom, don’t embarrass him,” Ned said.

“Oh, I don’t mean to embarrass anyone,” she smiled.

Peter grinned, a warm feeling spreading in his stomach. 

Mrs. Leeds ushered them into the kitchen. “Ned called me at lunch today and told me you were coming over, so I made some brownies in case you boys were hungry.”

Displayed in the center of the kitchen table was a silver tray full of golf ball sized brownies. 

“Now I just took them out of the oven before you guys walked in, so they might still be a little hot.” 

“Wow,” Peter slipped out.

Mrs Leeds looked at him. “Hmm?”

“Oh, no, sorry I just meant, um, I’ve never really had a brownie before.”

“What? Never?” Ned said, his eyes widening. 

Never. In foster care, the only food he ever ate were the scraps of what the rest of the family left behind. And occasionally saltines. That was the reason he appreciated Tony’s cooking so much. It was hot and fresh. And it always filled him up, even with his fast metabolism. If Peter were still in foster care now, he’d probably starve because the lack of food wasn’t enough for his superpower.

“Dude, you’ve gotta try a brownie right now,” Ned pressed. “Plus, my mom makes the best.”

“Oh, Ned stop,” Mrs Leeds blushed.

Peter reached out and took a brownie of the tray. He held it between his thumb and index finger. It was warm and the top was coated with a glistening, flakey crust. Peter took a bite. It was gooey on the inside and felt warm and sticky on his tongue.

He loved it.

“Oh my God!” He exclaimed, still chewing. “This is amazing!”

“See, I told you!” Ned said.

Mrs Leeds hummed. “I’m glad you like it, Peter. Have as many as you want.”

After Peter ate at least fifteen more brownies - Ned had ten - Ned led him to his room. It was smaller than his own room at the compound, but like the rest of his house, much,  _much_ ,  bigger than his foster home’s. Anything was bigger than that. It was a  _literal_ closet. 

Ned’s twin sized single bed lined up against the wall and it was neatly made. The walls themselves were covered with Star Wars posters. There were even some posters of the Avengers plastered. 

“So,” Ned started, “I’ve been waiting for the right time to build this. And I think now is that time.” He held in between his hands a huge Lego set box that was titled LEGO: Star Wars Death Star. 

Peter gasped. “Ned! That’s insane!”

“I know!”

Ned opened up the box and dumped out individually sealed bags containing certain numbers of lego bricks, some stickers and an instructions booklet. 

As they powered through their creation, they made small talk.

“So, who’s you’re favorite Avenger?” Ned asked.

“My favorite Avenger?”

“Yeah. I really like Thor. What about you?”

Peter was silent for a moment before answering. “Tony Stark.”

“You mean Iron Man?”

“No. I mean Tony Stark.”

Ned stopped and looked at him, a gray rectangle lego piece in his palm. 

“Dude,” Peter said. “Iron Man is his exterior, but Tony Stark is the real hero.”

Ned huffed out a laugh. “I was right.”

“About what?”

Ned smiled at him. “You are the smartest kid in our school.”

Later, Peter got a text from Tony saying to meet him at the bus stop around the corner. Mrs. Leeds offered to give him a ride, but Peter insisted he was fine. It was only a twenty second walk, which was fine with Peter. As long as Ned and his mother didn’t see Tony.

He got in the front seat of the car. Tony was sporting his usual baseball cap and shades, the same ones he wore when driving to Peter’s school. They smiled at each other, then Tony started the car and drove down the street. 

“So how was it?” Tony asked casually.

“Awesome,” Peter sighed contently, leaning back against the headrest. “Oh, also,” he took out a plastic bag from his backpack, “Mrs. Leeds gave me some brownies to take home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually don’t know Ned’s favorite Avenger. I feel like he wouldn’t be opposed to Thor, though. Also I’ve concluded that while it’s not said, Mrs. Leeds made a total of 50 brownies. Peter and Ned ate 25 of them at his house, and Peter took the rest home for him and Tony. Stay tuned!


	17. 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before this chapter begins, I just wanted to say that I cannot express enough how much Chadwick Boseman will be missed. Not only was he our Black Panther, but he was also a hero in real life. This is an incredibly tough loss and he will be remembered forever. Rest In Peace and in Power, Chadwick. 
> 
> ...
> 
> Sorry for the long wait. Here’s chapter 17! Enjoy!

Pants and belt? Check. Shirt and jacket? Check. Shoes? Check. Tie? In progress.

Peter realized that while he was changing he had no idea how to tie a tie. He was never taught, and he never had a reason to wear one.

Tony was waiting for him downstairs. It would be embarrassing, but he didn’t have any other choice. With his undone tie in his hand, he crept down the stairs.

In the living room, Tony was sitting in a chair, eagerly waiting with his arms leaning on his knees.

“Tony?” Peter called. He walked toward Tony with his shoulders hunched.

Tony stood, a proud smile forming. “Look at you.”

Peter smiled shyly. He held the tie up to Tony. “Um, I don’t know how to...”

“Oh. Here I got ya.” Tony took the tie from him and wrapped it around Peter’s neck. Peter watched his face as he worked at the piece of cloth. Tony tied it just tight enough so it wouldn’t come loose. He adjusted Peter’s collar and made sure the tie fell right in the center of his chest.

Peter examined the now neatly fixed tie. “Thanks,” he said.

“No problem.” Tony stared Peter up and down. He tilted his head. For a moment, he saw his younger self looking back at him. But there was something different. Something  _better_.

“What?”

“Nothing. You just look so... professional.”

Peter smiled at the ground. He played with the cuff of his sleeve. 

Tony took a breath. “Well, we better get going. Don’t want to be late.”

Peter felt bad that he couldn’t offer MJ a ride, but he knew it was out of the question. Besides, even if she did know, it would be awkward with Tony sitting in the front, most likely listening to their conversations. She wasn’t mad though, at least she didn’t seem mad. MJ didn’t care about nitty-gritty stuff anyway, so she was probably chill about it.

When they arrived at the school, it was already packed with kids. Peter recognized most of them, but found it strange to see them dressed in sumptuous attire rather than the casual way they normally looked.

They could hear the loud beating of the music blasting from inside the gym. It sounded hazy from behind the closed doors, but still loud enough to vibrate the car. 

“Okay, so what’s the game plan here?” Tony asked.

“I’m gonna wait on the steps for MJ, and once she comes, we’re gonna walk inside and sit with Ned. They set up tables and chairs in the gym, he saved some seats for us.” 

Tony pointed a finger at him. “Don’t forget time hold the door open for her when you guys go in. Remember, be a gentleman.”

Peter nodded shakily. “Right, right.”

“And tell her she looks nice.”

“It’s MJ, she always looks nice.”

Tony smiled. “You want me to wait with you until she gets here?”

“No, no,” he stepped out of the car and talked through the door. “You can go. I don’t want anyone to see you.”

“Okay kid. And listen,” he held his hand out toward Peter, who grasped it with his own, “I want you to have fun, okay?”

Peter smiled. He squeezed Tony’s hand. “I will.”

“And good luck with your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend. Yet.”

Tony laughed. “You go get her, kid. I better go. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.” Peter let go of his hand and shut the door. Tony drifted out of the parking lot and down the street, and Peter took his place at the top of the stairs, waiting for MJ.

He searched the night from above, squinting his eyes the farther he looked. People rushed past him into the building as he stood, but none of them were the the one he was looking for. There were boys in suits and ties. And girls in dresses and heels. Blue suits, black suits, white, and gray. Sparkly dresses, long dresses, short dresses, skin tight dresses. 

Everyone looked so... different tonight.

But in a good way. He looked at all the people passing through the doors and saw expressions on their faces that read: this is our night. 

Then every person, everything surrounding him, vanished. The only thing that was left was the curly haired girl awaiting at the bottom of the steps. 

MJ was looking up at him, her eyes glinting with the reflection of the moon. Her lips were stretched delicately upward, smiling at him. Her hand on the railing, she had crossed one leg behind the other, her back leg balancing on her toes. 

She took a step, but Peter had rushed down to her before she could come any closer. 

“Hi,” he said, breathless.

“Hi,” she replied in the same tone.

Now that Peter was closer, he could see the details in her outfit. Her dress was a pale yellow with a layer of fabric netting over it, the same color. The bottom stretched a little past her knees, and had flown out enough so that if she twirled, it would spin with her. The top was plain with short-sleeved shoulders. She wore black flats and her hair was clipped in the back with a half-up, half-down style. She wasn’t one for makeup, but Peter noticed a little shimmer of lip gloss and the tiniest bit of blush.

She was perfect.

Peter extended his arm out to her, and her gentle hands wrapped around it. Together, they headed up the stairs and through the doors, looking like something out of a movie screen.

...

“Hello?”

“Tony, we have a situation.” 

Over the phone, he was given his coordinates and the exact time he needed to be there.

“I’m on my way.”

...

The folding chairs and tables were neatly decorated with white clothed sheets and small vases of flowers for centerpieces. (Real flowers, not those cheap plastic ones they sell at dollar stores.) There were streamers coming down from the ceiling and balloons with no strings floating above their heads. The crowd was bouncing them up in the air, trying to keep them afloat. The DJ was playing some of Peter’s favorite songs, and some throwbacks as well. There were even a few songs by AC/DC, which he was sure Tony would appreciate.

Peter was impressed. He heard that not only the teachers but the students as well had put all this together. Apparently, there was some fall dance committee that some of the students were apart of, and they were in charge of decorating the gym. They really outdid themselves. 

Peter was worried they wouldn’t be able to find Ned in the crowd, but once they walked in, he was standing on his chair above everybody else, waving. Once they all sat down together, it felt the same as sitting at lunch. Peter and Ned fell into a conversation about Star Wars, and MJ shook her head in disappointment. But her smile remained as if nothing could take it away tonight.

“Hey guys,” Ned yelled over the blaring music. “Why don’t we go dance?!”

“Okay!” Peter yelled back.

The three stood and rushed over to the dance floor. Not wanting to be crushed by the crowd, they huddled together in a little spot off to the side. Close enough to the music, but far enough so they wouldn’t be swallowed.

Dancing, well more like jumping and pumping their fists in the air, was something they were doing for the first time together. It usually wasn’t like this with them. They were more of the just sitting and talking kind of group. But they could do that everyday. Tonight they were going to live a little more freely.

The crowd went absolutely  _nuts_ when one of the best throwback songs came on. The three of them screamed the lyrics with everyone else:

“SO I PUT MY HANDS UP, THEY’RE PLAYING MY SONG, THE BUTTERFLIES FLY AWAY! NODDIN’ MY HEAD LIKE, YEAH! MOVIN’ MY HIPS LIKE, YEAH!”

Peter was sure his voice was going to give out, but he didn’t care. He was having one of the best times of his life. With his two best friends, he felt so sure about everything in this moment. Like this moment could last forever, and he wouldn’t want it to change. 

“YEEAAEEAAEEEAAAAHHHH! IT’S A PARTY IN THE USA!” They screeched the words until the very last lyric, and they definitely butchered the song with their painful voices. By the end of it, they were out of breath and laughing like idiots. 

The whole room must have been wheezing because right after the DJ announced, “All right, everyone. Why don’t we all calm down for a minute.”

And then a song not like the others he played. A song with a much slower rhythm and a much softer voice. 

In a second, the crowd went from roaring with screams to silence as the song played. It was like it had entranced them to find a partner to... slow dance with.

Ned patted Peter on the back, gestured to MJ with his eyes, then went back to the table. 

Peter looked at MJ. She was staring into the crowd, twirling a strand of her hair, watching everybody. 

He took a deep breath. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. She turned and looked into his eyes, and smiled. She leaned into him for a minute, then took him by the shoulders. “Come here.” She held him closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her nose was aligned with his chin. She began to sway the both of them back and forth, slowly.

Peter suddenly realized he had no idea what to do. He was moving with MJ, but his arms stuck out stiffly by his sides. She briefly removed her hands off of him to take his hands and place them on her own waist. Then she settled back into her original stance.

Peter was unsure at first of this was okay, but when his eyes looked up, they got hooked on MJ’s, and she silently told him that it was. 

They were dancing. Peter was dancing. He never danced before. No one ever taught him. But apparently no one needed to. Peter always thought slow dancing required lots of practice, but all he was doing now was swaying slowly back and forth. 

It felt good. It felt more than good. It felt right. And he took into account that it only felt right because of who was in his arms. If it were anyone else, it would be wrong.  
  


”You look so beautiful,” he said.

The look on MJ’s face changed. Her mouth had relaxed into a small pout and her eyes stared deeply and fondly into his. Her gaze flickered onto his lips then returned to his eyes. She tilted her head and leaned in closer. Their noses touched, then their lips clashed.

MJ closed her eyes, and so did Peter. 

They were kissing.

They moved in unison, keeping their eyes closed.

Just like the dancing, it felt right.

MJ pulled back and opened her eyes. Peter opened his, too. They stared softly at each other for a moment. 

MJ smiled, then rested her head on Peter’s shoulder, her chin right above his heart.

Peter leaned into her, letting his cheek brush lightly against her head. He closed his eyes again. 

They remained just like that until the song came to an end.

...

When Tony came to pick him up, he said his goodbyes to MJ and Ned, then hopped in the front seat of the car, sighing content lay with a huge smile. He practically melted where he sat.

“I had the best time tonight, Tony.”

“Good. I’m glad you had fun.”

Tony didn’t even look at him. He all but sped out of the parking lot, making Peter jerk backward. 

“Hey, what’s the rush?” He put his seatbelt on.

“Nothing, I just have to get home.”

“Yeah but- Oh my God! Tony slow down!”

Tony didn’t pay him any mind. His eyes were fixed on the road. He flew past every car and every turn felt like they might fly off the road. Up ahead, a traffic light had just turned yellow. Tony sped right through it before it could turn red. Peter felt something wrong. Tony never sped. 

Tony would also be asking him a million questions right now. “How was your date?” “Did you have fun?” “Are you dating now?” But he never asked anything. Why was he in such a rush to get home?

When they arrived - what would normally take them a half hour took them ten minutes - Tony launched himself out of the car and ran inside. Peter followed after him, trying to keep up.

Tony burst through the door, grabbed a pair of glasses and a small device, and turned back to the door.

“Okay, kid, I have to go.”

Peter jerked his head, confused. “What? Where are you going?”

“I gotta go do... superhero stuff.”

Peter crossed his arms. “Tony. Where are you going?” He demanded.

Tony sighed. “I have a mission.”

“Mission? Then I’ll come with you. I just gotta get my suit.”

“Peter no-“

“You’re not going alone.”

“Peter you’re not coming.” Tony started to raise his voice.

“Tony, they can’t send you on a mission by yourself.” Peter reasoned.

“Well, they have no one else, okay?”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes I am.”

“Peter!” Tony yelled. Peter fell silent, taking a step back. Tony sighed. He crossed over to Peter and squatted in front of him. He took Peter’s hands into his own and held onto them. “I’m sorry, kid. I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I just... if something happens to you, I’d never forgive myself. Can you please,  _please_ , just stay here?”

Peter looked down in defeat. He gripped Tony’s hands. “I worry about you, too, you know. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Tony embraced Peter in a hug. He held him close, tight. He whispered into his ear. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

Peter held onto Tony like a lifeline. “You promise?”

Tony nodded against his shoulder. “I  _promise_. ” He pulled back to look at Peter. He held his arms in a tight grip. “But you have to promise to  _stay here_.  Please.”

Peter felt he might cry. He nodded slightly. “I promise.”

Tony smiled a little. “Come here.” He held Peter again, he rubbed his back. “Try to get some sleep, okay. It’s late. I’ll be back kiddo, I promise.”

Peter didn’t want to let go.

He did eventually, and he watched with worried eyes as Tony left, keeping his eyes on Peter until he was hidden behind the door. 

He was alone. The whole compound was empty. For the first time in months, he was without Tony. Peter felt panic well up inside him. 

He still couldn’t believe they sent him on a mission alone. What were they thinking? Tony could get hurt. If something happens to him...

Peter couldn’t let that happen. He also knew he couldn’t just sit here and worry. But Tony told him not to follow.

Not thinking of anything better, he raced down to the lab. He rummaged through Tony’s desk until he found what he was looking for.

The silver flip phone still worked. And still only had one contact in it. The same contact Peter expected to find. He dialed the number.

It rang for a little bit, and then, “Tony?”

Peter took a sharp breath. “Captain Rogers?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time Party in the USA comes on at a school dance, my friends and I go wild. My friends and I also do what Peter, Ned, and MJ did where they just dance in their own little huddle away from the big crowd. We have a fun time. Stay tuned for more!


	18. 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 18! It’s finally time for some more friends to join our story. Enjoy!

Peter was right. They shouldn’t have sent Tony alone. Well, technically he wasn’t alone. Maria Hill was by his side. She wasn’t a superhero, but she provided some help. Still, this wasn’t going to be an easy victory with just the two of them. 

Tony took to the sky, fighting whatever drones he could manage up there. And while trying to find the source of them. Maria was down below, shooting whatever she could out of her way. 

“Stark,” her voice came through his comm, “you find anything?”

Tony grunted as he was hit in the back with a blast. He quickly recovered and fired back, blowing the drone to bits. “Not yet.”

He climbed higher, searching frantically for the drone’s home base. He had a clear view, but all he saw was the dark sky. 

All of a sudden, hundreds of more drones came hurtling toward him and Maria. Tony blasted away as many as he could while avoiding getting hit. Maria had a more difficult time.

“Tony! I can’t shoot them all at once!” She tumbled out of the way of a blast. It came close to hitting her, but she luckily moved before it could.

“Hold on!” Tony was still up in the air, now trying desperately to destroy all drones in his path.

They were buzzing around them like hornets with deadly stingers.

Tony blew up all of the drones that were close to him, but many more were on their way. Quickly, he swooped down to the ground where Maria was. Back to back, they shot down as many drones as they could. But it was futile.

“I have to find their base!” Tony yelled.

“How? I can barely see the sky!” Maria shouted.

Without warning, something barreled through the sky and killed at least fifty drones in its path. Then a red mist made its way through all the visible drones, and they dropped in mid-air. The object that was thrown - a manhole cover - circled back the way it came and landed in someone’s grip. 

The fallen drones emanated a smoke, and through it, a group of people came forward.

Familiar people.

“We heard you needed help,” the leader of the group said.

Tony retracted his helmet. “Steve?”

...

Peter was exhausted, but he couldn’t sleep. Not when he knew Tony’s life could be at stake. 

He was sitting on the couch in the living room, his arms were hugging his knees close to his chest, and he was rocking back and forth. There were bags under his eyes and his hair was still slicked with gel. Tony’s gel.

Peter’s eyes slipped shut a few times, but he jerked himself awake. He was so tired, but he wasn’t going to allow himself to sleep. Not until Tony was here, safe. 

It was almost two in the morning, and Tony still hadn’t come home. It had been nearly four hours since he left. And since Peter called Captain Rogers. 

He hoped Steve had gotten there in time. He hoped Tony was okay. But that was all he could do. Hope. 

When the clock reached fifteen minutes past two, Peter couldn’t keep it up any longer. His eyes closed permanently for the night as he remained in his hunched position. As he let sleep take over, he thought of nothing but Tony, and pleaded that he come home safe. 

..

He looked at the team. His team. His friends. His  _family_.

They looked... well, like they were on the run. Steve had grown a full on beard and his hair was much longer. He still adorned his Captain America uniform, but it became tattered and worn, and there was a mark left on the center of his chest where he must have ripped out the star symbol. 

Behind the Captain stood Wanda, Sam, Natasha, Clint, and Barnes. Tony was still shaky when it came to Bucky. He doesn’t think he can forgive him for killing his parents. And he doesn’t think he can forgive Steve for not telling him. 

Everyone else looked the same but different. If that made any sense. They all looked tired. Like they hadn’t slept in months. Maybe they hadn’t. 

Like Steve, some of their physical features changed as well. Barnes’ hair was longer, Natasha’s hair was short and now blonde for some reason. Everyone else looked pretty much the same, but much more drained.

The moment Tony saw the team, he knew immediately that the red dust that brought the drones down had belonged to Wanda. He didn’t care much when they left, but he was worried about her. After all, she was only a kid. Not much older than Peter.

“How did you know I was here?” He asked.

“I got a call saying you were in trouble,” Steve said.

“A call? Who-” before Tony could finish, hundreds of more drones towered over them, firing to kill. Everyone sprung into action at once. “I have to find the source of these drones! If I can disable their home unit, they should all shut down!”

“Go!” Steve called. “We’ll handle it down here!”

Tony nodded and launched himself into the sky once again. Drones from down below began to follow him, but were quickly obliterated by Wanda’s magic. Tony smirked inside his helmet. He would have to thank her later. 

He continued his search, and paused when he saw a tower of a building holding up a large glowing orb on its roof. Bingo. 

He glided down toward the building and saw that next to the orb there was a man pressing buttons on a computer. The man noticed him and froze for a moment. Tony landed on the roof. 

“Shut this down! Now!” He demanded.

“Hail Hydra.” The man dove off the roof and plummeted seventy stories to his death.

“Figures,” Tony muttered. He retracted his helmet and started fiddling with the computer, trying to find the off button for these killer drones.

He hit every button he could find that could potentially turn of off, but he was met with the same answer written across the screen:  _ Access Denied . _

“Tony, how’s it going?” Maria called Tony through his comm. 

“Uh, not great. I can try to reroute the system but it’ll take too long. I might have to blow the place up.”

“Where are you?”

“On the roof of a building about ten miles north of you guys.” 

Tony heard muffled grunting and banging noises through his earpiece. “Alright, Stark. Blow the thing up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. There’s too many of them and it’s the middle of the night so we’re clear of civilians.”

“Alright. On your word.”

Maria’s voice went silent, then after a few beats, she came back through. “Now, Stark!”

Tony raised his hands to aim at the glowing orb. He fired. Bits of the power source erupted in midair, falling to the ground.

The minute he blasted, Tony sped through the air as far away from the explosion as he could get. He met Maria and the others back on the ground. Thousands of deactivated drones lay at their feet.

Tony and Steve stood across from each other, a drone lying in between them.

“Well, that was something,” said Sam.

Tony met Steve’s eyes. “How did you know where to find us?”

“I got a message telling me to come here. He said you needed help.”

“Who?”

“He said he was your intern.”

“Intern? I don’t have an intern.”

“Well then who did I talk to on the phone?”

“I don’t-” 

Then Tony realized.

_Peter_.

...

Peter was still sound asleep on the couch. He was curled up in a ball in the corner, still clad in Tony’s old suit.

It was around three in the morning when Tony crept through the door, six other Avengers trailing behind him.

Tony immediately noticed Peter on the couch. The others did too. They all gave each other confused looks. Tony would deal with them later. Right now, he was focused on the boy on the couch.

He squatted down next to Peter and gently squeezed his shoulder. “Peter. Wake up.”

Peter moaned and cracked his eyes open. When he saw who was in front of him, he sprung up and lurched himself onto Tony. He held his breath as he wrapped his arms tightly around Tony’s neck. “I was so worried. I thought you weren’t coming back.”

Tony breathed out a sigh. He hugged Peter back. “Oh, kid. I’ll always come back to you.”

Peter pulled back and smiled. That’s when he noticed team Captain America standing around them.

He stared at them. He knew he had called Steve, but for some reason, there was a part of him that didn’t think they would actually show up.

“Kid,” he heard Tony say,” “it’s late, so we’re not getting into this right now. We’ll discuss it in the morning. Right now, I want you to go upstairs, get out of that suit, and go to bed.” He said it sternly, but surprisingly gentle.

Peter nodded, his head down, and went upstairs. 

The group looked at Tony. 

“Same goes for you guys,” he pointed at them. “We’ll discuss it in the morning. Your old rooms are still there. Go to bed. All of you. Goodnight.” He began to follow the steps up to his own room.

“Tony,” Cap called. Tony turned around. “I’m sorry.”

Tony grimaced. “Me too. But like I said, we’ll save it for the morning.”

Before he went to bed, he snuck into Peter’s room to give him a kiss goodnight. He’s grown accustomed to doing this every night. Peter didn’t know it. He made sure Peter was definitely asleep before he did it.

He leaned over and kissed Peter’s forehead. “I can’t believe you did that. Thanks for looking out for me, squirt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the rogue’s have returned! Yay? 
> 
> Also today was my first day back at “school.” I put quotes around school because we’re starting off remote. I loved seeing everyone’s faces today, but I wish we were in person. But as much as I wish that, I also want everyone to stay safe. In terms of updating the story, there shouldn’t be that much of an issue. I don’t really have an updating schedule anyway. But if it takes just a little longer to get the next chapters out, bare with me because as much as I’m loving writing this fic, school comes first. Sorry for the long notes. I promise they’re done now. Stay tuned!


	19. 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! Here it is! The long awaited chapter 20! So, sooo sorry it took this long to get out. Also, please read the end notes. Enjoy!

Tony woke up late the next morning. He wasn’t planning to but everything that happened the night before took a toll on him. 

He sat up and rubbed his head as he yawned. He smelled something good coming from outside. It made his stomach rumble. When was the last time he ate?

He changed and wandered downstairs to the kitchen and found Steve cooking something in a pan. Clint, Sam, and Wanda were sitting at the table. Barnes was next to Steve. Did he have his arm around Steve’s waist?

“Morning, Stark,” Clint said.

Everyone turned their heads to Tony.

“Morning...” Tony said, confused. “What’s going on?”

Steve smiled. “I’m making breakfast.”

“We’re waiting for breakfast,” Clint replied. “Steve, could you hurry it up a little? I’m starving.”

“It’s coming, calm down.” Steve walked over to the table with the pan and gave each of them a pile of scrambled eggs.

He looked up at Tony.

“You hungry? I made enough for everyone. Nat went for a walk, she said she didn’t want any, so I have some extra here, too.”

Tony was hesitant. “Uh, yeah. Thanks. Let me just go wake up the kid. He’ll be hungry too.”

Sam leaned forward in his seat. “Yeah, um, about that. Did Pepper hide a kid from you for years that you didn’t know about?”

“Sam...” Steve intervened.

Nat walked into the kitchen then. She caught Tony’s eye. 

“No, no, it’s okay,” Tony said. “The kid’s not mine. He’s just staying with me for a little while. He’s actually, um, Spider-Man.”

Sam and Clint’s eyes grew wide. Steve and Bucky exchanged a look. Wanda and Natasha stayed still, like it didn’t surprise them.

“Tony,” Steve started. “How old is he?”

Tony breathed through his nose. “Fifteen.”

“You brought a fifteen year old kid into a battle of superheroes?” Clint exclaimed.

“Barton, I don’t want to get into this right now.” Tony sighed. “Let me go get him.”

Tony left the stunned team in the kitchen while he went to go wake up Peter.

Lying in his bed, Peter was sound asleep, his blankets covered him from his feet all the way up to his chin.

Tony brushed a curl behind his ear. “Peter,” he whispered. 

Peter inhaled deeply. “Mmm...”

“Peter, you want some breakfast? You hungry?”

Peter cracked his eyes open. He looked up at Tony. “Breakfast sounds good.”

Tony smiled. “Okay, kid. There’s a plate full of scrambled eggs waiting for you on the kitchen table.”

Peter sat up and stretched. He pulled the blankets off. “I can’t wait. I love your cooking.”

“Actually, I didn’t make them.”

Peter looked at him. His eyebrows scrunched together. 

“Come on, kiddo.”

Peter hopped out of bed and followed Tony into the kitchen. As soon as they entered, they were greeted with six pairs of eyes staring at them.

“Everyone,” Tony said. “This is Peter. Peter, you know these guys.”

The team exchanged awkward glances with each other before Steve stepped up. He put his hand out. “Hi, Peter. Nice to meet you. I’m Steve.”

Peter gripped Tony’s arm and hid behind him. Like he was a small child hiding from a stranger. Steve put his arm down and looked up at Tony. 

Tony looked down at Peter. “Hey, you’re not shy. What are you doing?”

“We’ll leave you two alone for a minute,” Natasha said. She went into the hall and motioned for the team to follow her. As they went, they each caught one last glance at Peter.

Tony didn’t understand why Peter was acting shy. He usually was a very social and talkative kid. 

Tony knelt down in front of him. “Hey, why the cold feet all of a sudden?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

A tear rolled down Peter’s cheek.

“I’m sorry, Tony. I’m-“ he started to break down.

“Hey, hey. Okay, let’s-“

“I didn’t mean to do this. I know you hate them. I was just worried about you and you said I couldn’t go so I found the flip phone and I called him and-“

“Hey, okay, okay. Come here. Come sit.”

Tony hugged him and led him to sit down in one of the kitchen chairs. He sat in one across from him. He let Peter cry on his shoulder. He rubbed his back.

“Shh. It’s okay. It’s alright.”

“I just wanted you to be safe.” It was muffled coming from the crook of Tony’s neck.

“Peter. Let me tell you something. When I went on that mission, I thought of only one thing.”

Peter sniffed and pulled out of Tony’s grasp. “What?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Mhm.” He brushed Peter’s curls back. “I thought ‘I need to do this fast. I just want to go home and be with Peter.’”

Peter swallowed. “You did?”

“Yeah. And then Cap came with the team. And he said my  _intern_ had called him.” He playfully poked Peter’s belly. Peter giggled. “And from that, I knew it was you. And let me just say thank you. Because if you hadn’t called Steve, Maria and I might have been in some deep shit.”

Peter laughed. “So you’re not mad?”

“No. I mean, never go behind my back again, but you did what you had to. And you’re a superhero. That’s all you can do.”

Peter leaped up and embraced Tony in a tight hug. 

Truth be told, Tony did want to be mad at Peter, but he couldn’t. Not just because he had puppy eyes, (Tony noticed that Peter’s eyes were always soft and doughy, not matter what state he was in), but because he felt something toward Peter that automatically shut his anger down the moment he looked at him.

He didn’t know what he was going to do once Peter left. 

Peter got comfortable slumping against Tony, and he yawned. Loudly.

“You didn’t get much sleep last night did you?”

Peter shook his head. His nose rubbed against the back of Tony’s neck. “I was waiting for you to come home.”

Tony rubbed his back and sighed. “Have a little something for breakfast and then go take a rest on the couch, okay?”

“Okay.”

Peter and Tony each had a large helping of scrambled eggs, and neither of them noticed Natasha Romanoff standing in the kitchen door. 

Her head was leaned against the wall and she smiled softly. She knew Tony had a soft spot for that kid.

“Wow.”

Steve was right behind her.

“He really loves that kid, doesn’t he?”

...

Peter felt weird taking a nap knowing that there were other people wandering the house besides Tony, but he did his best to sleep. He was in the middle of a Star Wars film when he finally felt his eyelids droop.

Tony came in the living room to check on him. When he confirmed Peter was asleep, he shut the tv off and covered him with a blanket. He looked around to see if anyone was watching. The coast was clear. He kissed Peter’s forehead. 

He stepped out of the living room and into the kitchen, where Steve was sitting at the table.

He looked up at Tony. “Hey.”

Tony stood in place, looking down at his sitting form. “Hi.”

Steve looked hesitant to say what he was about to say next, but he had to say it. He talked his fingers on the table. “Tony... I’m sorry. For everything. The accords. The fight. Not telling you about your parents...”

Tony didn’t know where to look. His eyes remained on Steve, but they wanted to look away. He forced them not to. 

Steve continued. “I guess I thought you would be better off not knowing. The last thing I wanted was to hurt you. I didn’t want you to have to relive their death. But I can see now it wasn’t my place to decide that. You deserve to know the truth. 

I’m not asking for forgiveness, and I know this will be hard to do, but, don’t put all the blame on Bucky. Please. He’s a good guy. He doesn’t want to hurt you. None of us do.”

“But you did.”

Steve looked down and sighed. “I know. We all know. And I’m sorry. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that I regret what I did to you. I knew I couldn’t go back, but before I left, I thought about you. I was worried. I didn’t know if you would be alright alone. But I see now that you’re not alone. That kid means everything to you.”

Tony opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t find the words. He felt a lump forming in his throat. A thin layer of water was forming in his eyes. He shuddered as he inhaled.

“He’s all I have left,” he said. His voice wavered. 

“Tony, I-“

“Steve,” he interrupted. The layer of water was overflowing now, threatening to spill at any second. “You know I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t mean to go crazy. But they were my parents, and I couldn’t control myself. And the accords.” An onslaught of tears spilled out of his eyes. “I wanted you to sign them because I needed to protect the team. I needed to protect you.”

“Oh, Tony.” 

Steve stood rapidly from his chair and caught Tony in his arms. Tony was stiff for a second but soon melted into his embrace. He sobbed.

As they held each other, Natasha came up behind Tony and hugged around his back. Then Bucky came in and did the same to Steve. And when Sam and Clint saw them, they looked at each other and shrugged.

“Ah, what the hell,” Sam said.

They joined the hug, Sam at Steve’s end and Clint at Tony’s.

When Wanda joined, her magic surged through each of them, and they could all feel the connection they lost slowly returning back to them.

Tony realized he was still crying, and he had almost forgotten Peter was asleep.

“Tony?” 

The boy in question entered the kitchen then as well, looking worried.

The team broke their hug, turning all their attention to Peter.

Tony weaved through the six of them to get to Peter. 

He knelt down and placed his hands on each of Peter’s arms. “What are you doing up.”

“I heard you crying. Are you okay?”

Tony smiled. Dry tears stained his cheeks. He hugged Peter. “Yeah, kiddo. I’m perfectly fine.”

Peter hugged him back. “Whew. Thank God.”

And as Tony sat there with Peter in his arms, the whole team watching, he realized that he finally got his family back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know I said before that school probably wouldn’t be a problem, but I found myself getting caught up in homework and all that fun stuff. And I’m really sorry about that. Please know that I adore writing fanfic, but school is my first priority. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out by next week the latest. I’m going to try my best. And, remember, there is absolutely no way I’m ever abandoning this story. I started it, and I will finish it. Even if people get bored and no one reads it anymore, I’m going to continue it. So please, stay tuned! :)


	20. 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 20! Enjoy!

“Peter, can you come in here for a second?”

Peter was in the middle of doing his homework when Tony called him. He dropped his pencil on top of the paper he was working on and went into the kitchen to find Tony putting on a coat and grabbing his car keys.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go run some errands. I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me. I know it’ll be weird with just you and, you know,” he gestured in the air, “everyone else.”

“Uh, I think I’m alright.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m just finishing up some homework and then I’ll just watch tv in my room or something.”

Tony grimaced. He was hoping Peter would’ve wanted to go with him. He didn’t really want him by himself with the team. Not that they would ever hurt Peter, but he just felt he shouldn’t leave him with people he barely knew. But it was Peter’s choice. If he was okay with staying home, Tony wasn’t going to force him to go.

He hummed. “Okay, but if you need anything-“

“Call you. I know.”

Tony laughed at the fact that Peter could now finish his sentences. 

“Alright, kiddo.” He gave Peter a hug. “I’ll see you in a little bit.” 

After Tony left, Peter got his homework done in the next five minutes. It was pretty easy. Just basic physics. 

He told Tony that he would be fine alone with the team, and he thought he would be, but now he was afraid he might run into one of them. Because it would be awkward. Because he wouldn’t know what to say. Because they were from  _the other team._

Peter knew that yesterday Tony and Steve made up and they had that big group hug, but it still seemed like there was a rift between them. And Tony was usually fine with leaving Peter alone when he needed to go out by himself. Peter never minded, Tony was just going to run errands. A quick fifteen minutes to a half hour alone wouldn’t kill him. But today he asked Peter if he wanted to go with him because of  _them_.  Because they’re wandering the building. Clearly, Tony felt unsafe with leaving Peter alone with them. He didn’t fully trust them.

Peter went out into the kitchen to grab a snack and saw Steve sitting at the table.

“Hi. Peter, right?”

Peter looked at him a little shyly. He didn’t know if he was allowed to talk to the team. Especially Steve. 

“Uh, yeah,” he answered in a low voice. 

Steve stared at him a him and nodded. He kicked out a chair from underneath the table. “Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?”

Peter looked at the empty chair, then at Steve. “Oh, um... I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea. Maybe I should wait for Tony to come home and then-“

“Actually,” Steve interrupted. “Tony’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Peter’s lips parted, his eyebrows raised. “Why?” He gasped in worry. “Is he okay?”

“Oh, no, he’s fine, he’s fine.” Steve assured. “I just...” his eyes landed on the table. He looked somber, his eyes were a sad blue.

Peter’s brow creased in sympathy. He knew that Tony probably didn’t want him talking to Steve, but there was something that made him want to stay. Something in Steve’s face said he should listen to what was about to be said. He sat down in the empty chair, his full attention alert.

Steve gave him a pitiful smile. He sighed. “I regret not telling Tony about his parents. I thought that I could spare him from the pain if I kept it to myself. But now I see I was wrong. I should’ve told him. And when I left - when  _we_ left - I didn’t know how alone he was going to be. I thought about calling him, but I couldn’t. I didn’t think he’d want to talk to me. But when that phone rang, I knew I had to answer it. And when you said that he was in trouble, I knew I had to go help him. And that night, we can back here and saw you. The real you, not Spider-Man, for the first time. And I’ve seen the way you and Tony are with each other. You have a strong bond. And he cares about you a lot. And I can tell you care about him. And that’s what he needs right now. Someone to stay connected to. You gave him that. He’s happy when you’re around.”

“Um,” Peter mumbled.

“What?”

“Sorry, I guess I’m just not sure where you going with this?” It turned into a high pitched question at the end.

Steve laughed softly. “Okay, okay. I’ll condense. My point is, I wanted him to be okay. But I wasn’t sure if he would be. I regretted leaving him and breaking up the team, but I had to protect Bucky. I wanted to protect him too, but I knew I couldn’t have it both ways. You did what I couldn’t do. He’s okay. He’s rooted. And he’s content. I was worried about him. But I guess now I don’t need to be. And I wanted to thank you for that.”

Peter was lost for words. He didn’t feel like he did all those things for Tony. If anything, he was just another thing for Tony to look after. 

“Mr. Rogers-“

“Steve is fine.”

“Right, sorry.  _Steve_ ,  I’m not sure how you can think that. I didn’t do anything to help Tony.”

“But you did. You’re his light at the end of this tunnel of a mess. And you may not realize it, but you have made his life a whole lot better.”

Steve stood and headed for the door. He turned to Peter and said, “Thanks for taking care of our friend.” Then he walked out of the kitchen, leaving a confused Peter behind.

...

That night, Peter and Tony stayed in the lab, away from everyone else. The team may have been roaming around upstairs, but the lab was a place where Peter and Tony could just enjoy each other’s company in their own little isolation space.

They were silent for the most part, each developed in their own project.

While Peter was working, his conversation with Steve still floated around in his mind. He tried to forget about it, but it kept coming back.

“Tony?” He asked.

“Yeah?” Tony said, his eyes staying glued to his work in front of him. 

“Am I...? Do I make you happy?”

Tony paused. He put his tools down and leaned against the table, looking at Peter.

“What?”

Peter’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “Never mind, that was I stupid question. Forget it, let’s just go back to work.”

“No,” Tony grabbed the screw driver that Peter picked up out of his hand. “Where is this question coming from?”

Peter looked down at his fidgeting hands. He shouldn’t have said anything. “Um, I guess I just want to know if you’re still okay with me being here.”

“Peter, we’ve talked about this. You’re not causing any problems. I’m the one who let you stay here, remember?”

“I know, I know. I just...” Peter didn’t know what else to say. He couldn’t tell Tony he talked to Steve.

“Peter,” Tony’s eyes were gentle, his voice quiet. “What’s this about?”

Peter rubbed his hands forcibly on his knees. He let out a long breath. “While you were out today, I talked to Captain Rogers.”

He waited for Tony to explode on him, but he just sat there, waiting patiently.

“And?”

“Wait, what?”

Tony’s eyes circled around the room. “What?”

“You’re not mad?”

“Mad about what? That you talked to Steve?”

“Well, yeah.”

Tony laughed. “Peter, they’re living here now. I can’t ban you from talking to them.”

Peter was dumbfounded. He thought for sure that Tony would be angry with him. “Oh, well, okay. Well, actually I still haven’t told you what he talked to me about.”

Tony put his hand under his chin. “I’m listening.”

Peter got nervous. “Actually it was, uh, kind of about you.”

Tony’s eyebrows scrunched together, be he stayed quiet.

Peter continued. “He basically said that I’m the only thing that’s gotten you through this whole fallout between you and the team. And that I’m the only thing that makes you happy right now. But I know that’s not true so we can just drop it.”

“No, Peter that’s the second time you’ve said that. I don’t want to drop it.”

“Sorry.”

Tony’s head dropped. “Peter,” he stood and moved closer to him, kneeling down so he was just below eye level with him. “Peter, of course you make me happy. You make me feel like the happiest guy in the world.” 

Peter looked down at Tony’s face. “Really?”

“Yeah. Kid, it feels like you’ve been with me for so long now that I don’t know what I’m going to do when you leave.” He regretted saying the words out loud. 

Peter frowned. “I’m not ready to leave yet.” He wasn’t ready to leave ever.

“You don’t have to be. We’ll deal with that when the time comes.” Tony didn’t want him to ever leave.

Peter nodded. “Okay.”

Tony smiled. He put his arms out. “Hug?”

Peter grinned and fell into Tony. Tony cupped the back of his head, keeping it in place on his own shoulder.

Tony spoke into his hair. “And Steve was right about another thing.”

Peter lifted his head to look at him. “What?”

“You are the only good thing that came out of this mess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I just want to point out a few things. First, I am NOT team cap. I am 100% team iron man. I just think that Steve stills cares about Tony and that he does have some regrets in leaving him, which is something they barely show in civil war. Second, this fic is NOT STONY. Steve and Tony are friends. Frenemies? Yeah, something like that. But in my fic, they are strictly not in a relationship. I gotta keep it Stucky ;) Anyway, chapter 21 will be out soon. Stay tuned!


	21. 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you I’d never abandon it ;)  
> Here’s the very long awaited chapter 21! Enjoy!

Peter woke up in the middle of the night with a pain in his head. He tried to give himself a little massage near his temples, but it didn’t work. He sat up, and his head started pounding. He felt hot, so he kicked the blankets off of him. Now that he was conscious, he felt the pain everywhere, not just in his head. 

He was so tired, but it seemed like sleep would be impossible tonight. He got up out of bed slowly and began to walk down the hall, his arms folded into himself.

He cracked open the door to Tony’s room. Tony was sound asleep, buried under his covers, laying on his side facing Peter. Peter didn’t want to wake him, but he felt like he needed him right now. He opened the door wider and walked inside, quietly making his way over to Tony. He patted his shoulder.

“Tony,” he whined. “Tony, please wake up.”

Tony’s eyes slowly opened. When he saw Peter, he was immediately alert. He sat up. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything hurts,” he said groggily.

“Everything? Come here.” Tony took Peter’s hands and pulled him closer. He felt his forehead with the back of his hand. “You feel warm.” 

Peter yawned. 

Tony stood. “I’m going to get the thermometer. I want to take your temperature. Can you stay here for a minute?”

Peter nodded slowly. Tony left, and Peter was met with silence. He wanted to sit. He hopped up on Tony’s bed. 

When Tony returned, he held a digital thermometer in his hand. “Lift up your arm, kiddo.”

Peter lifted his right arm, and Tony stuck the tip of the thermometer through his shirt and in his armpit. Peter lowered his arm.

“My head really hurts,” he said.

Tony sat on the bed next to him, keeping the thermometer in place. “I know.” He rubbed Peter’s back. Peter tipped his head down and let it rest on Tony’s shoulder.

The thermometer beeped, letting them know it was time to take it out. Tony read the numbers. “103.”

“Is that bad?”

“Well, it’s not good.”

“I haven’t been sick since the bite. I thought I became immune or something.”

Tony grimaced as he stared at the numbers. “This makes it pretty clear that you’re not.”

Peter sighed. “What about school tomorrow?”

“I’m going to have to call you in sick.”

Peter moaned and buried his nose into Tony’s neck. “Everything hurts.”

“Oh, kid,” Tony said sympathetically. He rubbed his arm up and down Peter’s shoulder.

Peter felt relaxed sitting with Tony. He melted into the comforting position and shut his eyes. His fever burned his entire body, and his head was pounding, but Tony being there made it a little less painful.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight,” Peter mumbled. He realized he was sounding childish, but he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t been sick in a long time, and he just wanted someone with him.

Tony held him tight. “Do you want to sleep in here?” He felt Peter nod. “Okay, kid.”

Tony let go of him and Peter stood beside the bed. Tony crawled on top of the mattress, and once he was settled, he motioned for Peter to follow. Peter laid right up against Tony, letting his head fall just above his chest. Through his pounding head, he could feel Tony’s gentle heartbeat. 

Tony covered the both of them with the blankets. He wrapped his arms around Peter, holding him in place. Peter quickly fell asleep to the comforting silence and warmth of Tony’s body against his own.

Tony looked down at him. He gave him a kiss on his forehead, and then rested his cheek against his hair. Tony fell asleep shortly after that, feeling content to be able to hold Peter throughout the whole night.

...

Tony woke up the next morning with his chest feeling hot. He looked down and saw that Peter was still on top of him. He felt Peter’s forehead and found that it was still warm, probably warmer than the night before.

“Oh, Peter.” He rested his cheek on Peter’s head, brushing his hair back gently with his palm. 

Peter shifted. “Mmm.”

“Kiddo?” 

Peter opened his eyes slowly, and they drooped when he blinked. “T’ny”

“Hey,” Tony spoke softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Still hurts.”

Tony sighed. He petted Peter’s hair. “I’m going to have to call the school and tell them you’re sick.”

Peter remained silent. He was still as he laid on top of Tony. 

“Peter?”

“Mmm.”

“Peter I need to get up so I can call them.”

Peter held on tight to Tony’s shoulders. “No,” he mumbled. “I’m comfortable.”

Tony sighed. He tucked one of Peter’s curls behind his ear. It was going to be a long day.

...

After struggling for about a half hour, Tony eventually got Peter to get up. He called the school, telling Principal Morita that Peter was sick. 

Peter was now lying on the couch, sleeping. (Tony carried him from his bedroom to the living room.) 

Tony hung up the phone and saw Steve coming into the living room.

Steve pointed at Peter. “Is he okay?”

“He’s sick. He has a fever.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I guess it’s not really my place to tell you what to do, Tony, but have you ever taken care of a sick kid before?”

Tony’s eyes fell to Peter on the couch, then back to Steve. “He’ll be fine.”

Steve nodded and walked away. 

Tony stared at Peter lying on the couch. From a distance, he looked peaceful, not making a sound as he took light breaths. But when Tony got closer, he could see the discomfort in Peter’s face. His features were scrunched up, his eyebrows and jaw were tense. Even though he had a layer of sweat dripping from his forehead, he was shivering, wrapped up in the fluffiest blanket Tony could find. 

Tony knelt down and gently petted Peter’s hair. Peter’s eyes opened halfway and stared at Tony. 

“Hey kid,” Tony whispered. “You want something to eat?”

Peter shook his head so slightly, if Tony wasn’t so close to him, he probably wouldn’t have seen it. 

“No? You’re not hungry?” Tony was worried. Peter was always hungry. For Peter not to want food was a big red flag. “Okay, maybe a little later?”

Peter nodded. Again, ever so slightly.

“Alright,” Tony said. I’ll let you rest.” 

As soon as he said that, Peter’s eyes immediately drifted closed. 

Tony stood and sighed. He had never seen Peter so tired. And he couldn’t call a doctor because just one examination would have Peter’s identity revealed. He didn’t know what to do if Peter wasn’t better soon. He reached down and felt Pete’s forehead. Still warm. He would have to check his temperature later when Peter was awake. 

There was a loud  _clatter_ , startling Tony, but thankfully not waking Peter. 

In the kitchen, Sam was bent over, picking something up from the ground.

“Sorry,” he said. “I dropped my fork.”

Tony looked past him at the rest of the team, who were all at various places in the room. Most of the were seated at the table, Steve was at the stove and Bucky next to him. Sam was still stand in the same spot in the middle of the room, where he apparently dropped his fork.

“What’s going on?” Tony asked.

“It’s breakfast time,” Clint whispered.

At the stove, Steve flipped over a piece of bacon in a pan. “I already told them Peter’s sick.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, man. Hope he gets better soon,” Sam said.

“Uh, thanks,” Tony said. 

Steve lifted up the pan he was cooking in to show it to Tony. “You want some bacon and eggs?”

“Christ, Rogers, is that all you know how to make is eggs?”

“Well, what do you cook, Stark?” Clint asked.

“I cook a lot actually. Peter loves when I cook.”

Wanda, sitting at the table, smiled. “You cook for him?”

The whole team was staring at Tony. Tony cleared his throat. “Well, yeah. I want him to have nice meals. I don’t just want to make him shit from boxes, you know?”

Natasha smiled. A sincere, loving smile. “That’s really nice, Tony.”

Tony was bashful. “Yeah, well.”

There was a comfortable silence for a moment, until Bucky said, “So how’s he doing?”

“Peter? Not too good. I haven’t checked his temperature this morning but last night it was at 103 and his forehead still felt pretty warm when he woke up. He’s sleeping right now.”

“Has he had any breakfast?”

“He said he’s not hungry. I’m worried though, he’s always hungry.”

“Give it some time, Tony,” Steve said. “His temp was at 103, he’s probably not up to doing anything right now.”

Tony nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

Steve lifted up the pan again. “Bacon and eggs?”

Tony laughed. “Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah. School has been kinda kicking my butt lately. I can’t blame it all on school, though. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to write but the thing is, 2020 has gotten me so unmotivated with everything, not just writing. And like I’ve been finding myself not wanting to do anything. But, with Christmas break coming, I think I’m ready to buckle down and bring out some more chapters to this story. Which, by the way as I’ve said many times before, I am never abandoning this. It will get done. Not sure when, but it will. If you’re still reading this story, thanks for sticking with it, and stay tuned for more. Don’t worry, you won’t have to wait that long for the next chapter. :)


	22. 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 22! Sorry it took so long... again. Enjoy!

Peter slept longer than Tony expected. It was long after they had cleaned up breakfast, and Peter was still in a fitful sleep. That wasn’t good. Peter needed sleep, yes, but he also needed food and water. Tony decided it was time for him to wake up.

“Peter,” he said, lightly rubbing Peter’s forehead with his knuckles. “Kiddo, come on, it’s time to wake up.”

Peter moaned. “No. I’m tired.”

“I know, but you can’t sleep all day. I want you to try and eat something.”

Peter looked up at Tony, his eyes dreary. The minute Tony looked into his eyes, he felt awful for waking him up. Peter was clearly exhausted, with his eyes glassy and dark circles under them. But he had to eat something. Just something small. Then Tony would let him go right back to sleep.

“Can you please try to eat some breakfast?” Tony asked, gently.

Peter took a breath. “Okay.” He sat up, and the blanket that was covering him draped off his shoulder.

“It’s just a couple pieces of toast,” Tony said.

Peter nodded and took a piece of toast from the plate Tony held in front of him. He took a bite. Slowly. Shakily. He forced it down his burning throat. He started to whimper. “It hurts.”

Tony felt his forehead again. “I’m going to check your temperature one more time.”

He went to get the thermometer. When he came back, Peter had put the toast back on the plate and was leaning back on the couch with his arms clutching the sides of his stomach. 

“Arm up, kiddo,” Tony said.

It took all his effort, but Peter managed to lift his left arm just enough so Tony could stick the thermometer under it. 

His temperature hadn’t risen. That was good. But it didn’t go down either. Not good. It stayed the same as it had been last night at about 103 degrees.

_Oh, Peter._ Tony thought. 

Peter moaned, and he clutched his stomach. “It hurts.”

“Peter, you’re hungry. You have to eat something.”

“I can’t. My throat...”

Tony looked down at the pieces of toast. He noticed that Peter took a bite off the end. “Here.” He ripped off the crust from both pieces. “Just eat the middle part. It’ll be easier.”

Peter looked at him, doubtful, but he tried anyway. He let the buttery softness of the toast slide down his throat smoothly. It still hurt, but not as much as before. “That’s better.” He told Tony.

“Good. I want you to eat all of that, okay?” Peter nodded as he chewed slowly. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Can I have some water, please?”

“Sure thing, kiddo.”

Tony went to fill him a cup of water. When he came back, there was only the remains of crust left on Peter’s plate. 

Tony handed him the cup. “Thank you,” Peter said. He drank almost the whole glass in one sip. 

“Wow. Thirsty, kid?

Peter took a break from drinking. “Yeah, kinda.”

Tony smiled, then it turned into a look of worry. “Peter, if you need something, anything, just ask, alright?”

Peter looked at his glass of water. “I feel bad.”

“What do you mean?”

Peter sighed. “I don’t want to keep having to bother you with things I can do for myself.”

“Kid, you are never a bother. And yeah, normally you could get a glass of water on your own, but you’re sick. So whatever you need, especially now, please don’t hesitate to ask me.”

Peter nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Tony gestured to the glass of water. “I want you to drink all of that. I’m going to keep filling it frequently throughout the day for you. I want you to stay hydrated, okay?”

“Okay.” Peter’s head dipped to the side and his eyelids started to droop.

Tony took the glass out of his hand. “You can go back to sleep now.” He helped Peter lay back down and covered him up with the blankets. “Rest up, okay?”

“Mkay,” Peter mumbled.

Tony half smiled. He put the glass on the coffee table and watched as Peter’s eyes drifted shut and his breaths evened out. He looked around to see if anyone was watching before giving Peter a light kiss on his temple. 

He stood, and walking into the kitchen, he found Wanda sitting at the table. “Hey, Stark,” she said. “Is Peter still sleeping?”

“Uh, yeah. I just woke him up to give him a little something to eat. He’s out cold again.” 

Wanda nodded. “He’s a good kid.”

Tony scratched the back of his head. “He’s the best. He’s been here for so long now that I don’t know what I’m going to do when he leaves...” He frowned. He looked at Wanda, who was now frowning, too, staring at him. 

“Tony,” she said. “Come sit.” 

Tony was confused, but sat down at the table as Wanda requested. He avoided eye contact, but she stared straight at him.

“You know,” she started, “I have missed you.”

“Huh?”

She breathed out a laugh. “I’ve missed you, Tony. You and I are not that close, but you’ve been a pretty significant part of my life.”

“Look, Wanda, I know it was wrong to lock you up in here but I only did it-“

“To protect me. I know. You have a lot to learn about kids.” When Tony said nothing, she continued. “Or at least you did. I’ve seen you with him. You’re different. You really care about him don’t you?”

Tony spoke so quietly only Wanda could hear. “I do. He’s... he’s all I have left.”

“I know how you feel.” Wanda folded her arms on the table. “For the longest time, Pietro was all I had. Then he was taken from me, too. When my parents were killed, I thought that it couldn’t get any worse.”

Tony swallowed. He knew it was his fault Wanda’s parents died. “Wanda, I can’t even apologize because it would mean nothing. I took your parents away from you, God.” He covered his face with his hands.

“Tony.” She pulled his wrists away from his face and held his hand on the table. “It’s all okay now. I know it wasn’t you launching those missiles. I didn’t before. I did blame you. But I know the truth now.”

“I’m sorry.”

She gripped his hand tight between the both of hers. “It’s alright.” She whispered. “Seeing you with Peter made me realize that you were trying to do the same with me as you are with him.”

“And what would that be?”

“You were trying to take care of me. As if I was your own. Just like you see Peter as your own.”

“My own? No, Wanda I think you’re misinterpreting this. Peter’s not mine. And he’s going to leave eventually.”

“I know. But in the meantime, you’re taking care of him, aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah, but... Peter’s not... he and I aren’t like... you know... I don’t see him as... and he probably doesn’t see me as... you know...”

Wanda giggled at him trying to find the words. But she knew what he was trying to say. And she knew that he was trying cover up the facts. “I know that he cares for you, Tony. And I know that you care for him. You don’t have to try to conceal anything.”

Tony looked down and realized that Wanda was still holding his hand. She have it another squeeze and smiled at him. “You don’t have to let us know,” she said. “Just make sure that soon, you tell him how much you care.”

...

By the time night rolled around, Peter was still sleeping on the couch. He pretty much slept all day. Besides having the two slices of toast, he ate a banana for lunch and no dinner. He told Tony he couldn’t. 

After getting ready for bed, Tony scooped him up off the couch and carried him into his room. He wanted Peter to sleep in his own bed tonight. He settled him down and tucked him in. Then, as he usually did, he gave him a kiss goodnight before going across the hall to his room.

...

Tony awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of someone crying. He lurched out of his bed and followed the sound down the hall and up to the closed door of the bathroom. He could hear the echoes of whimpering coming from inside. He knew who the cries belonged to. 

He knocked twice. “Peter? Can I come in?”

“Tony?” The call came through the closed door.

“Yeah it’s me, kid. Can I come in?”

“Tony...” the cries were harder now.

Tony opened the door. Peter was hovering over the toilet bowl, crying and shaking, and looking white as a sheet. The bathroom reeked of vomit, and sure enough, Peter had thrown up in the toilet. Tony searched the floor for any more of the stuff, but it was clean. Peter had made it.

But Tony moved on from that in favor of focusing on the more important thing: Peter crying on the bathroom floor. 

“Kid.” He knelt down next to him. 

“Tony, I’m sorry-“

“Don’t you dare be sorry. Look at me.” He took Peter’s face in his hands. “Are you okay?” Peter sobbed and shook his head. Tony flushed the toilet. “Do you want some water?” Peter nodded.

Tony took a paper cup from the sink cabinet and filled it with water. He handed it to Peter, who took it with shaky hands. Peter took a mouthful, swished it around a few times, then spit it into the toilet to get the throw-up taste out. He took another sip, and swallowed it this time. Tony rubbed his back the whole time. 

When Peter was finished with his water, he handed the empty cup to Tony. Tony put it on top of the sink, then felt Peter’s forehead with the back of his hand. “I’m going to check your temperature again, okay?”

Peter nodded as he watched Tony grab the thermometer from the medicine cabinet. Peter raised his arm, and Tony stuck the tip of the thermometer in the center of his armpit. When it beeped, Tony took it out and checked it. “101.3. You still have a fever, but it went down.”

Peter sniffed. “It doesn’t feel like it.”

“I know. You’re getting better, though.” Tony put the thermometer on top of the sink. “Come here.” He enveloped Peter in his arms tightly. They stayed like that for a long moment until Peter began to relax. 

Peter shuddered. “Can I stay with you tonight?”

Tony rubbed his back. “Of course you can.”

Peter clutched even tighter onto Tony’s shoulders, like Tony was the only thing keeping him alive.

...

Tony settled in bed with Peter’s head lying on his chest, just like the night before. 

They were both still wide awake when Peter asked, “Will this ever go away?”

“Oh, of course it will, kid. Like I said before, you’re getting better. I promise you’ll feel better in no time.”

“I hope so, cause I don’t like it.”

Tony laughed. “No one does, kiddo.”

“Tony?”

“Yeah?”

“Who’s going to take care of me when I’m sick, you know, after I leave?”

Tony did not like this question. “Uh, I don’t know. Whoever you end up living with, I guess.” He also did not like that answer.

“My foster parents never took care of me. When I was sick, they wouldn’t even acknowledge it. One time, when I was eight, I got really sick. I could barely move. They threatened to kick me out of the house for a week if I didn’t get out of bed. Looking back, I should’ve stayed in bed. It would’ve given me the opportunity to run away sooner.”

There was a moment of silence before Tony responded. All he could say was, “Peter,” and wrapped his arms around Peter’s shoulders. “Forget about them, okay? You’re safe now.”

Peter hummed and nestled his head on Tony’s chest. 

“Hey kid?”

“Yeah?”

“You, uh, know I care about you, right?

“You’re the only person who’s ever cared, Tony.”

Tony didn’t know what to say after that. He wanted to ask more. He wanted to know if Peter cared about him. Or if he saw Tony as something more than his temporary guardian. But before he could get the chance to ask, Peter was sound asleep.

Tony kissed the top of his head and stared up at the ceiling until eventually, with his arms wrapped around Peter, he fell asleep, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I watched WandaVision over the weekend and... I don’t even know what to say. I’m really loving it! No spoilers cause I’m not about that life. Also if any of you have seen it, let me know what you think in the comments! But please keep it spoiler-free. I would hate to have it ruined for someone who hasn’t seen it yet. But yeah let me know if you like it or not. 
> 
> Next chapter will be out soon! Stay tuned!


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